MEET THE BOARD
MICHAELA MEDEL: CO-PRESIDENT & LEAD CO-FOUNDER
Michaela Medel is a senior attending Valencia High School. She is Filipino American, the Vice President of Communications for Valencia UNICEF, and became a writer for Dear Asian Youth in SCV. Michaela volunteers weekly at the SCV Food Pantry and spends her free time creating new ube pandesal recipes, as well as producing her own musical compositions on Garageband every weekend. She is interested in pursuing a career in Business Management or as an allergist. To gain more knowledge to incorporate in club presentations, as well as to become more aware of her family's immigration history, Michaela attended a History of Asian Americans course at UCLA during the summer of 2021. She hopes that A.A.L.L.Y. as a club reaches out to several students with various stories to tell of their own, as she wishes that such a club existed when she was a freshman searching for a community to confide in.
ALYSE CHO: CO-PRESIDENT & LEAD CO-FOUNDER
Alyse Cho is a Korean-American senior attending Valencia High School. She is one of the editor in chiefs of the Viking Vision, co-secretary of National Honors Society, and secretary of Valencia UNICEF. Alyse enjoys writing in her journal during her free time and reading books (I just finished Paper Towns and I’m currently reading “I’m Glad My Mom Died” by Jennette McCurdy) Alyse continues to explore the different opportunities the future has in store for her, but as of right now she is considering on majoring in either journalism, biology, or computer science. She hopes that AALLY can create a positive impact in the Asian community and inspire others to continue sharing their voices.
SARIRA NAMAVAR: VICE PRESIDENT
Sarira Namavar is a senior attending Valencia High School. She is a part of Tesoro Tutors Club and she has been the JV tennis captain for two years. Sarira enjoys sleeping, eating, and wasting her money on online shopping (LOL). A fun fact about Sarira is that she has a pet goldfish named Luis who's been alive for a little too long. When Sarira grows up, she wants to go into business/marketing or into law as a lawyer.
NISHIKA MANJESHWAR: TREASURER & FUNDRAISER COORDINATOR
Nishika is a sophmore at Valencia High School and AALLY's treasurer. She is also a co-editor for Viking Vision, the president of Valencia's STEM club, and a member of the track and field team. Outside of school, she likes to hang out with friends and crochet!
Andrea is currently a Filipino-American sophomore at Valencia High School. In their free time, they enjoy listening to music and writing (current favorite song is Sunny Day by Beabadoobee)! They are the secretary/treasurer of Bring Change to Mind and co-president/co-founder of Use Your Voice. UYV is a club they started to recognize the need for change at VHS and working to create it. They are also a part of the Medical Science Academy. Andrea has joined clubs they strongly believe in, hoping to pave the way for a better future. Andrea is truly passionate about advocating for worldly issues, creating an impact and fighting for these issues in their own way. Through AALLY, Andrea hopes AAPI voices are heard and listened to.
SAHANA RAO: SECRETARY
Sahana Rao is an Indian-American senior attending Valencia High School. In her free time, she enjoys reading fantasy and non-fiction books, as well as writing the occasional short story. She's also part of other clubs on campus like the STEM club, Help For Refugees, and is one of the editor in chiefs for the Viking Vision. Sahana, as of right now, is interested in going into STEM with a focus on astronomy. She hopes that AALLY can create a safe space for AAPI students to share their voices and provide for an overall more educated campus.
AMANDA LEE: SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Amanda is a junior attending Valencia High School. She is the secretary for Girls Learn International at VHS and works as the transportation/verification officer for Letters for Rose SCV. She also tutors chemistry at Valencia. Amanda participated in an AAPI leadership program during the summer of 2022 called AAPIs Mobilize. In her free time, she enjoys reading, shopping, hanging out with friends, and listening to music from her favorite artists. When Amanda is older, she wants to become a lawyer.