Student Affiliates of Seventeen (SAS) Executive Board
2023–2024

Cabinet

Saumya Arora (She/They)
Tri-Chair, Term: 2022-2024
sarora3(at)vols.utk.edu

Justice, Equity, and Liberation (JEL) Pillar Co-Chairs

Cherese Waight (She/Her)
Term: 2022-2024
cwaight2(at)illinois.edu

Cherese is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Division. Before starting the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Illinois, she graduated from University of Illinois with a B.S. in psychology and African American Studies. As an undergraduate student she worked with the Policing in a Multiracial Society Project, a program with the Police Training Institute to study the Color-blind Racial Ideology of the police recruits through a pre and post survey. She is working under the direction of Dr. Helen Neville in her Liberation Lab. Her research interest is broadly focused on understanding the psychological effects of racism in the Black community, which is inclusive to understanding racial ideology, well-being, radical healing, radical hope, intergenerational trauma & coping, mental health resources for underrepresented communities and community interventions. Her current research is focused on understanding the experiences of Black police officers. She is passionate about social justice and advocacy in my training. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, family, binge watching shows, cooking, being outdoors and spending time with friends.

Kriti Jain (She/They/Any)
Term: 2023-2025
kjain1(at)vols.utk.edu

Kriti is a 1st year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville under the mentorship of Dr. Kirsten Gonzalez. Originally from India, Kriti earned her BA in Psychology from Ashoka University, India, after which she received an MA in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Kriti’s research interests are in the areas of QTBIPOC well-being and positive psychology. Through her research, clinical, and advocacy work, she wants to support the well-being of individuals with intersecting marginalized identities using a holistic and strengths-based approach. In their free time, Kriti enjoys traveling, trying out new restaurants, spending time with family and friends, and being outdoors.

Community Learning & Development (CLaD) Pillar Co-Chairs

Salmān Safīr (He/Him)
Term: 2022-2024
ssafir2(at)illinois.edu

Salmān Safīr (he/him) is a third-year doctoral student in the counseling psychology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Under the guidance of. Dr. Helen Neville and his colleagues in the Liberation Lab, he studies bibliotherapy, radical hope & healing, South Asian US Muslim Americans, ethno-racial identity development, Shī’īsm, and gender & sexuality among US Muslims as they each relate to mental health. Prior to beginning his doctoral degree, he earned his MA in divinity studies from the University of Chicago, where he also received a graduate certificate in Health Care Administration and Policy. He received a BA in Educational Studies and Psychology from Swarthmore College. Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, he worked in the Intercultural Engagement Programme at Yale-NUS College in Singapore. Outside of academics, he enjoys rooting for Wisconsin professional sports teams, as well as browsing any bookstore he can find. He lives with his cat Eeyore, who tolerates him.

Dana Conzemius (She/Her)
Term: TBA
dana.conzemius(at)und.edu

Dana (she/her/hers) is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Dana is originally from East Tennessee where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and child and family studies from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Dana’s research interests include the prevention and intervention of intimate partner violence and sexual assault on college campuses and understanding survivor’s experiences of psychological intimate partner violence including the impact of IPV on students’ sense of belonging and academic self-efficacy. In her free time, Dana enjoys being outdoors and hiking (when it’s not -60 degrees in North Dakota), spending time with family and friends, and finding local bakeries!

Scientist-Practitioner-Advocate (SPA) Pillar Co-Chairs

Vanessa Anyanso (She/Her)
Term: 2022-2024
anyan019(at)umn.edu

Vanessa (she/her) is a 5th-year doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Her broad research interests include the mental health and well-being of Black women, intersectionality, and the impact of the Minneapolis Unrest on mental health. She is a lead mentor through the NextGen Psych Scholars Program, and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Clinically, Vanessa identifies as a feminist and person-centered therapist and is passionate about providing culturally appropriate care for individuals with marginalized identities. She is originally from the Washington, D.C. area. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Columbia University and spent two years working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania before beginning graduate school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, playing video games, traveling, and working on her podcast, the PhDiversity Podcast.

Casey Lewis (She/Her)
Term: 2022-2024
clewi25(at)okstate.edu

Casey (she/her) is a third-year doctoral student at Oklahoma State University. She is originally from Georgia where she earned her B.S. in Psychology. Broadly, her research interests include health disparities, autism and healthcare, disability, chronic illness, and patient and healthcare provider interaction. She currently works as a graduate research assistant for the Oklahoma State University Institute for Developmental Disabilities. She is passionate about the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of public, professional, and personal life. In the future she hopes to work in medical education and/or an integrated medical setting. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring colorful makeup, painting, and playing video games with friends.

Membership Co-Chairs

Lakeisha Hamilton-Robinson (She/Her)
Term: 2022-2024
lhamilt2(at)tnstate.edu

Lakeisha Hamilton-Robinson is a fourth-year Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at Tennessee State University.  Originally from Chicago Illinois, she received her Bachelor of Science from Tennessee State University and her Master of Science from Tennessee State University.  Her research focuses on childhood trauma, restorative justice, marginalized populations, career counseling and African American Men.  She enjoys running, playing the piano and trying new brunch places in Nashville, Tennessee.

Esha Karia (She/Her)
Term: 2023-2024
kariae(at)bc.edu

Esha is a second-year master's student at Boston College in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she earned her Bachelor of Health Science from McMaster University. Esha also is a Graduate Research Assistant at Massachusetts General Hospital where her research and clinical interests include understanding the pathophysiology of eating disorders and exploring cross-cultural treatments for eating disorders within minority populations. In the coming academic year, Esha will be completing her practicum at The Renfrew Center in Boston. In her spare time, Esha enjoys hiking, trying new food spots, reading, and traveling. 

Master’s Clinician Co-Chairs

Dylan Reyes (He/They)
Advisory Role, Term: 2022-2024
reyesdy(at)bc.edu

​Dylan Reyes (he/they) is a pre-licensed psychotherapist based in Boston, MA. Dylan received their B.A. in Communications and Theological Studies from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. They spent several years working in non-clinical roles schools and universities with children, teens, young adults and families. Dylan recently earned their M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Boston College. They completed their clinical training at the Simmons University Counseling Center. More recently, Dylan joined Collaborative Insight Counseling Associates (CICA) as a pre-licensed psychotherapist. They specialize in working with individuals who have experienced Grief, Death/Loss, Complex PTSD, ADHD, Anxiety and Depression —- particularly as it relates to the pluralistic experiences of 2SLGBQTIA+, biracial/multiracial, and neurodivergent individuals who are navigating life, development and transition. As a clinician and advisor to the Masters Clinician Chair, they hope to continue the ongoing work of supporting efforts to represent the growing needs (both nationally and internationally) of masters clinicians within Division 17. In their spare time Dylan enjoys listening to mariachi ballads, dancing to literally anything, the Star Wars universe, cooking with friends, and collecting houseplants.

Virachi Chaudhary (She/Her)
Term: 2023-2024
chaudhvi(at)bc.edu

Virachi is a clinical trainee at the Simmons University Counseling Center as she earns her Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling at Boston College. She is from Mumbai, India, where she lived throughout her life until she moved to Bangalore, India for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (Honors) at Christ University, and eventually, to Boston for graduate school. Virachi is currently affiliated with the Sexual Assault Network, the Undoing Oppression Committee, and the Restorative Justice Initiative at Boston College, where she engages in advocacy for structural changes to enhance the mental health of BC students while also supporting the emotional needs of those students affected by microaggressions and oppression. While being a SAS Master's Clinician Chair, she sees herself working to identify the needs of especially those master's counseling students who feel “in-between”; those whose intentionally marginalized experience is deemed invisible by the perceptions of those in power, including but not limited to, multiracial folks, QTBIPOC persons and survivors of gender-based violence, transnational adoptees, international students, queer folks who do not meet the forms of expression expected of them, and persons with “invisible” disabilities. Outside of her academic and professional life, Virachi enjoys journaling or meditating by bodies of water, watching English and Hindi TV shows and movies, and reading and listening to Alok Vaid-Menon's intentional words of wisdom.

 Newsletter Editor

Social Media Coordinator

Cheyenne James, MS, Ed, LPC (She/Her)
Term: 2023-2024
cmjames1(at)radford.edu

Cheyenne is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology at Radford University in Radford, VA. Cheyenne is also a Doctoral Psychology Intern at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Cheyenne was born and raised in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Cheyenne obtained her Bachelors of Science in Human Services and Counseling with a minor in sociology from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Cheyenne also completed her Master’s program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Old Dominion University. Clinically, Cheyenne works with clients from all walks of life and has experience in college counseling, integrated behavioral health, substance use, trauma, and grief work. Cheyenne meets clients where they are, encompassing a holistic and humanistic approach. Cheyenne has been trained in several modalities but works from an integrative approach meeting clients’ needs based on goals, values, and strengths. Cheyenne’s research interests center around supervision, help-seeking behaviors, rurality, mental health stigma, and burnout. Cheyenne enjoys hiking, animals, art, and watching Star Wars and Harry Potter.

Programming/Events Committee

Alex Colson (They/Them)
Term: 2022-2024
Email

Alex (they/them/theirs) is a third-year doctoral student at Arizona State University under the mentorship of Dr. Em Matsuno. They grew up along the southeast coast of the US and earned their bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Florida in 2020. Their current research interests include minority stress, trauma, healing, and resilience among trans and nonbinary people and healing for psychiatric survivors. Eventually, Alex intends to work as a licensed psychologist and a professor to train future counselors. They hope to use their educational training and lived experiences to bridge the gap between the communities they serve and academia through informing public policy, engaging in activism, and promoting community healing. In their free time, they enjoy playing with their cat Eggs, hiking, photography, going to concerts, and being around their people.

Marah Selim (She/Her)
Term: 2023-2025
Email
Marah is a second-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Miami. She earned her B.S. in Biology and Society from Cornell University in 2021. Marah’s research interests include human flourishing and well-being, attachment, and acculturation processes. Born in Egypt, raised in Scotland, and living between Miami and New York in early adulthood, she was drawn to the emphasis on cultural/contextual factors in the study of Counseling Psychology. Marah enjoys sunset walks, trying new food, reading, and cuddles with her cat Edgar Allan.

Listserv Coordinator

Whitney Clarke (She/Her)
Term: 2024
wclarke2(at)illinois.edu

Whitney Clarke (she/her) is a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Originally from Maryland, Whitney earned her Bachelors in Psychology, a Certificate in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and a minor in Black Women’s Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Whitney’s research interests center on Black populations specifically Black women and girls’ mental health issues, their ability to heal and hope radically despite oppression, and how trauma and racial identity uniquely impact them. As a McNair Scholar during her undergraduate career, Whitney explored coping strategies utilized by Black women dealing with discrimination through an individual study. This solidified her call to advocate for Black women and examine healing. Under the mentorship of Dr. Helen Neville and Dr. Jarrett Lewis, her current research centers Black communities where participants are active in the research project, rewriting what academic research looks like. In her clinical work, Whitney is passionate about transforming the therapeutic space for Black folks to be radically healing and include cultural and indigenous healing practices. 

Throughout the year, you may hear that she has gone home to Jamaica for a little to get away from the cold weather! She loves to travel any and everywhere, weight-lift, binge shows, and try new restaurants.