June 26, 2026
For Immediate Release:
Contact:
Marian Herboso
Olivia Bragitikos
Joed Garbo
tayofellowship@fylpro.org
Filipino Young Leaders Program Announces Summer 2026 Cohort of Tayo Fellows
The Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO) is excited to announce the selection of its 2026 Tayo Fellows cohort, welcoming a new group of Filipino young leaders into our network of individuals across the United States, Guam, Canada, and the Philippines.
Through the fellowship, participants will contribute to Tayo’s ongoing work in community research, public health, civic engagement, storytelling, technology, and leadership development. Fellows will have the opportunity to collaborate on projects that align with their interests and support initiatives serving Filipino and Filipino American communities.
This year also marks a new chapter for Tayo. Former fellows Marian Herboso, Olivia Bragitikos, and Joed Garbo have stepped into leadership roles as Tayo Co-Directors, building upon the foundation established by Tayo Co-Founders Krystle Canare and TJ Simba-Medel. As alumni of the fellowship program themselves, they bring firsthand experience, mentorship, and a deep commitment to cultivating the next generation of Filipino leaders.
Reflecting on her own experience with Tayo, Co-Director Marian Herboso shared that one of the most meaningful parts of the fellowship was connecting with people who had similar academic and career interests while collaborating on projects that allowed her to explore the intersection of psychology and public health. She said those experiences only strengthened her passion for giving back to the Filipino community that shaped her.
“I wanted to be able to pass this feeling forward,” Marian said, noting that it can sometimes be difficult for Filipino and Filipino American young people to find representation and community in certain fields. “I’m excited to see how this year’s fellows advocate for themselves, pour their own personalities into the projects they’re assigned to, and gain friends and mentors who will ultimately become part of their circle for the rest of their lives.” She hopes the fellowship will provide a space where fellows feel supported, inspired, and connected to a broader community of leaders who will continue to champion one another well beyond their time in the program.
Supporting this year’s fellows is a dedicated team of mentors and leaders from across the Tayo and FYLPRO community, including Melissa Palma, Paolo Roca, Maria Kronenburg, Iko Razon, Leezel Tanglao, Jhoshua Ang Price, Jobel Vecino, Alex Rodriguez, Frances Rodriguez, Mark Calaguas and Donna Demanarig.
As one of the fellowship’s co-directors, Olivia Bragitikos understands firsthand the impact that mentorship and community can have on a young leader’s journey. Olivia said her experience in the program inspired her to remain involved and help create the same opportunities for future cohorts. “I wanted to become a director of the fellowship to continue the personal and professional growth that started through being a fellow,” she said. “I also wanted to extend this support system to future fellows.” Drawing on her background in anthropology and community development, Olivia found that Tayo provided a meaningful avenue to continue exploring ethnographic research and oral histories within Filipino communities while deepening her connection to her own culture. Looking ahead to this summer, she is especially excited about the relationships fellows will build with one another. “I’m looking forward to all the connections that we’ll make through this fellowship,” she said. “I look forward to the potential meetups that will happen this summer.”
Joed Garbo shared that one of the most meaningful aspects of Tayo is the community it brings together. “This is the one space where I am consistently surrounded by high-performing, motivated, and passionate Filipinos from around the world who are experts in so many different fields,” she said. Through her involvement with the fellowship, Joed has had the opportunity to learn from directors, supervisors, and fellows whose experiences and perspectives have helped shape her identity, work ethic, and career. “I am so grateful to be a part of this program,” she added. She described the fellowship as a place of continuous growth and connection, where participants inspire one another to pursue meaningful work and leadership. Looking ahead to this summer, Joed is most excited to meet the new cohort, foster a sense of community among fellows, and continue strengthening her connection to Filipino culture as a director. She hopes the fellowship will serve as a space where fellows can build lasting relationships, learn from one another, and feel empowered to make an impact in their communities.
Throughout the summer, fellows will participate in collaborative projects, professional development opportunities, mentorship, and community-building experiences designed to strengthen their leadership skills and deepen their engagement with the Filipino community.
As Tayo continues to grow, the fellowship remains committed to empowering emerging leaders, fostering meaningful connections, and creating pathways for young Filipinos and Filipinos in the diaspora to make a lasting impact in their communities and beyond.
The 2026 Tayo Fellowship Program will conclude in late August.
FYLPRO’s Summer 2026 Tayo Fellows include:
Allysa Rapadas (Philadelphia, PA)
Data & Technology
Allysa Rapadas is a first-generation Filipino-American currently based in Philadelphia, PA. Allysa works as a user experience (UX) specialist and accessibility advocate, managing projects encompassing digital accessibility, user experience research with individuals with disabilities and assistive technology users, and addressing barriers to accessibility and disability inclusion. In pursuing her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) in Community Health and Prevention at Drexel University, Allysa served as a 2026 IDEA Fellow with the School of Public Health’s Office of Culture, Community, and Opportunity, strengthening public health research skillsets. Allysa hopes to continue aligning her professional career in community-engaged, community-led, and inclusive design work.
As a Tayo Fellow, Allysa is excited to deepen her connection with her culture, exploring public health impact and practices within and as a part of the Filipino diaspora.
Julian Sanchez (Laurel, MD)
Data & Technology
Julian Sanchez is a second-generation Filipino American from West Palm Beach, Florida. As a senior Computer Science student at Florida State University, he brings extensive engineering experience through internships at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Pfizer, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and Northrop Grumman. He is excited to be a part of the Tayo Fellowship and apply his technical skills to projects that create meaningful impact in the Filipino community and beyond.
Jangael Rosales (Skokie, IL)
Data & Technology
Jangael Rosales is a second-generation Filipino American technologist, born and raised in the North Side of Chicago, passionate about building human-centered technologies and intentional digital spaces that prioritize agency, care, and empathy. She is an incoming Master of Science Candidate at the University of Michigan’s School of Information concentrating in User Experience (UX) Research and Design. As a recent Computer Science graduate at Connecticut College with engagements in Psychology, American Studies, and Data Science, she aims to apply a critical lens to the intersection of technology, equity, and education.
At Connecticut College, Jangael led equity and inclusion initiatives across the Computer Science department, Hale Center for Career Development, Race and Ethnicity Programs, and most notably, revived Asian Students in Action (ASIA), the college’s only Asian-identifying affinity group. She has previously conducted education technology research at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute (CMU HCII) as part of their 2024 REU program and presented at the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education’s Technical Symposium (ACM SIGCSE TS ’25). Recognized as a Posse Foundation Scholar, Wencher Foundation Scholar, and Equitech Futures Scholar, she is celebrated for her leadership, dedication, and service to technology. Beyond campus, she engages in spaces centering Filipino visibility as a participant in LEAD Filipino’s Awareness in Action program, a mentee of the Filipino Googler Network’s Kapwa Mentorship program, and one of the five AnitaB.org’s Filipina Systers in Computing selected to represent Filipinas in Tech at the 2025 Grace Hopper Celebration. She looks forward to continuing her professional growth through the FYLPRO Tayo Fellowship to support projects that fully advocate for the Filipino diaspora and to be in Kapwa with the cohort.
Alessandra Mariano (Boston, MA)
Data & Technology
Alessandra Mariano is a senior at Northwestern University studying Computer Science and Music. She is passionate about innovation and using technology to uplift youth and Filipino communities. Through roles in software engineering and product management, she has seen first-hand how accessible, inclusive technology can create real opportunities for underserved communities.
Through her time with Northwestern’s Filipino Student Association and volunteering with Chicago-area STEM digital literacy initiatives, she brings hands-on community experience to her work. As a Data & Technology Tayo Fellow, she looks forward to working on multilingual AI tools like ChatTayo that can make healthcare more accessible for Filipino communities.
Aaron Oculto (San Francisco, CA)
Editorial
Aaron Oculto is a first-generation Filipino American and incoming 1L at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). Born and raised in Southern California, Aaron graduated from UC Berkeley in 2024 with degrees in Political Science and Southeast Asian Studies, concentrating on the intersection of international relations and classical political theory. His academic work examined the political and cultural landscape of South and Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on the region’s humanitarian crises and the failures of both regional and global responses to them.
A child of immigrants, Aaron’s path to becoming an attorney has been shaped by his family’s legacy of resilience and advocacy in the face of oppression — and by his own experience navigating systemic barriers in the United States. Early exposure to immigration enforcement gave him a firsthand understanding of the fear many communities carry toward legal institutions, and deepened his commitment to pursuing law as a means of protection and advocacy for those most vulnerable. At UC Law SF, Aaron hopes to build on his background in editorial work to amplify legal voices and make the law more accessible to the communities it too often fails.
Therese Cerdan (Metro Detroit, MI)
Editorial
Therese Marie Cerdan is an incoming Master of Library and Information Science student at Simmons University in Boston, and a 2025 graduate of the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, where she studied Anthropology, International Studies, and Museum Studies. She strives to increase visibility of, access to, and research of Philippine and minority heritage collections in colonial institutions. Her experiences working with U-M’s significant Philippine archaeological and archival collections, and with visiting Filipino scholars and artists, informed her vision of museum and information work being rooted in collaboration, ethical stewardship, and reciprocity. Shaped by her Cebuano heritage, Therese’s undergraduate thesis research explored the exploitative legacy of U-M’s colonial collecting practices in the Central Visayas region throughout the 20th century, impacting the field of Philippine archaeology and thus our understanding of Filipino heritage and identity today. Therese currently works as a Collections Specialist at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, with a prior internship helping inventory NAGPRA-related artifacts in the collection.
Camelia Heins (Fountain Valley, CA)
Editorial
Camelia Heins is a proud, queer, mixed Filipina born and raised in Orange County, California. She graduated from the University of California, Irvine in Political Science and English with a minor in Asian American Studies. As a storyteller at heart, Camelia is a freelance journalist who has published works in LAist, The LA Local, Pasadena Star-News, CalMatters and EdSource. In college, she dedicated her time to serve as an ate, mentor and Community & Political Affairs Co-Chair for Kababayan at UC Irvine, one of SoCal’s largest student-run Filipino organizations. Recently, she produced a podcast on gentrification through the lens of street art with the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans in LA’s Historic Filipinotown and is currently a fellow with the Los Angeles Reporting Collective. Camelia believes deeply in the art of storytelling as a way to connect with our communities, hold those in power accountable and learn the histories of our pasts in order to learn about ourselves. Her work seeks to center communities and focuses on how policy, actions and words impact folks. Outside of work, she can be found curating niche Spotify playlists, reading and writing poetry, supporting her local library and bothering her cat, Moira.
Arianna Sheres Carandang
Editorial
Hello! I am undergraduate student at University of California, Berkeley studying Public Health with a minor in Public Policy. Passionate about addressing social and environmental inequalities, I’m interested in community-centered work and research that advances equity, accessibility, and public impact. Through my experiences in nonprofit, campus, and customer-facing roles, I’ve developed strong skills in communication, collaboration, and program coordination while working with all kinds of people. Being a First-Gen immigrant and coming from a Title I high school pushes me every day to give back to my community.
I am super interested in the intersections of health policy, environmental justice, and user-centered research, and excited to continue exploring pathways in public health, law, and UX/UI research. Currently, I am working as a Community Assistant for The Valiant under Asset Living and as a Visitor Experience Associate at the UC Botanical Garden. Beyond professional work, I sing as a Mezzo Soprano in Mahiwaga A Capella, songwrite on guitar, and write copy for the Cal Yearbook!
Erika Pernis (Dallas, TX)
Editorial
Erika Pernis is an incoming senior at the University of Texas at Austin. Her major is in journalism with a minor in Asian American Studies, and her passions lie in print and digital storytelling, event planning and community engagement. Through the Tayo fellowship, she hopes to gain experience in researching and covering marginalized communities, and making the news more accessible to them.
Shaianne Relucio (Fresno, CA)
Nonprofit Development
Shaianne Relucio is an incoming senior at her high school in Fresno, California. She currently serves as the Lieutenant Governor for Division 05 North Key Club, and she’s passionate about making both service and leadership opportunities accessible to high schoolers. Outside of school, she serves as the president for the Fresno chapter of IgniteHER, a global organization dedicated to empowering young women through rhetorical feminism.
Through her leadership positions, she aims to empower other youth interested in making a difference and connect them to like-minded people. She’s also dedicated to dissecting and speaking out about systemic issues affecting underprivileged communities and finding ways to confront them. For fun, Shaianne enjoys listening to music, volunteering, photography, archery, badminton, and cooking.
Lui Mendoza (Los Angeles, CA)
Nonprofit Development
Lui Mendoza is a Quezon City–born, Los Angeles–raised migrant dedicated to transforming lived experience into meaningful community impact. His journey has included serving with organizations such as Lakas Mentorship, Genesis Healing Institute, Hixon Higher Education Mentorship, NAFFAA, Kapwa Kabataan and Filipino Cultural School. He has also worked as a Para Professional II with La Cañada Unified School District before stepping into his current role as Community Health Navigator–Outreach Specialist at Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA), a legacy non-profit organization located in Historic Filipinotown.
Driven by a passion for connection, access, and advocacy, Lui supports individuals and families in navigating essential resources while building meaningful partnerships that help address systemic inequities and strengthen community well-being. He believes that everyone deserves equitable access to quality health care and supportive services, regardless of age, race, or socioeconomic background. Outside of work, he trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, embracing the belief that growth and discipline extend far beyond the workplace.
Ashley Lohr (Charlottesville, VA)
Nonprofit Development
Ashley Lohr is a mixed Filipina-American from Richmond, VA. She recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in English, in the spring of 2026. Within her Filipino organization at UVA, the Organization of Young Filipino Americans (OYFA), she served as one of the Advocacy Chairs as a part of the 38th Board and Council Leadership team. During her term, she wrote and published three issues of the FAHMzine, a literary magazine which celebrates Filipino American History Month under the theme of Pamayanan (Community).
Outside of OYFA, she likes to spend her free time writing, traveling, and hanging out with her friends. She’s highly interested in exploring her Filipino roots as well as other Asian American history and culture. She plans to pursue a career in policy and journalism and is excited to contribute to the Tayo Summer Fellowship program this year.
Sasha Academia (Chicago, IL)
Policy, Advocacy, & Political Engagement
Sasha Academia is a Filipino American public policy graduate student at Northwestern University pursuing a Master of Public Policy with a specialization in Global Policy. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from DePaul University and has built experience across government, nonprofit, advocacy, and community engagement spaces. Her work has included supporting immigrant civic engagement initiatives, conducting policy research, advancing community advocacy efforts, and exploring the intersection of technology and public policy.
Outside of her professional work, Sasha is passionate about empowering others through sports and the arts. She has coached youth and adult tennis players for several years and enjoys aerial arts, including lyra and pole. As a 2026 Tayo Fellow, she is excited to connect with fellow Filipino leaders, deepen her understanding of issues affecting Filipino communities, and contribute to projects that create meaningful and lasting impact for the Filipino diaspora.
Marissa Duterte (Sacramento, CA)
Policy, Advocacy, & Political Engagement
Marissa Duterte (she/her) is a recent graduate from Cornell University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations with a minor in Policy Analysis and Management. A first-generation college student and second-generation Filipina American from Stockton, California, she is passionate about advancing policies that strengthen immigrant, worker, and Filipino communities both in the United States and abroad.
Marissa has extensive public service experience with the U.S. Senate with the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Students (APAICS), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC. Her work has focused on labor rights, migration policy, civic engagement, and expanding opportunities for underrepresented communities. On campus, she served as Vice President of the Cornell Filipino Student Association and helped lead Beyond Good Intent, a nonprofit organization dedicated to community service and youth empowerment in her hometown. Through the Tayo Fellowship, Marissa hopes to connect with fellow Filipino leaders, strengthen her advocacy skills, and contribute to building a more engaged and empowered Filipino diaspora.
Allyson Nepomuceno (Palm Harbor, FL)
Policy, Advocacy, & Political Engagement
Allyson Nepomuceno is a first-year medical student at Nova Southeastern University KPCOM with a strong passion for public health, health policy, and community advocacy within Filipino American communities. Her experiences in research and public health include conducting studies focused on cardiovascular, sexual, and reproductive health disparities. Her experiences as a healthcare provider include working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Licensed Assisted Living Facility Administrator, supporting elderly individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In 2024, she was selected as one of seven Filipino American leaders for the IMPACT! National Fellowship with the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington, D.C. and the US-Asia Institute, where she further developed her interests in public policy, public service, and patient advocacy. Through the fellowship, she worked with the Hepatitis B Foundation, advancing equitable healthcare systems and improving community health outcomes.
Outside of medicine, Allyson is deeply involved in Filipino community engagement and philanthropy. She is the founder of GK USA NextGen, the youth branch of Gawad Kalinga USA (GK USA), and formerly served as its National Program Director. She currently serves as a National Ambassador and performs through their cultural dance program. She was recently installed as the youngest board member of GK USA. She also trains GK USA ambassadors through the Miss Fil-Am Florida Pageant, preparing candidates through speaking and fundraising before their Gawad Kalinga immersion trips to the Philippines. Her combined experiences in public health, clinical care, and policy continue to shape her goal of becoming a physician-advocate in primary care, committed to serving underserved populations and improving health outcomes while advancing public health equity.
Christine Dabuco (Houston, TX)
Research
Christine Dabuco is a junior at Bryn Mawr College majoring in Mathematics on the pre-health track. She aspires to pursue a career in healthcare, with interests in applying quantitative approaches to improve patient outcomes and access to care. Christine is proud of her Filipino heritage, which shapes her perspective and commitment to community. Outside of academics, she enjoys playing badminton and exploring new foods as a self-proclaimed foodie.
Alexander Inciong (North Grafton, MA)
Research
Alex Inciong is a Filipino American student from North Grafton, a small town in Central Massachusetts. A member of Brown University’s Class of 2029, Alexander is studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on a pre-MD-PhD track, with a growing interest in cardiovascular disease, public health, and biomedical research. His passion for Filipino and Filipino American health is deeply personal, shaped in part by growing up as the son of a Filipino grocery store owner in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he has seen the strength, warmth, and resilience of the local Filipino community firsthand.
At Brown, Alex hopes to use his academic background and research experiences to better understand how cardiovascular disease affects Filipino and Filipino American populations. Through his work as a Tayo Fellow, he is especially interested in exploring the intersection of biomedical science, cultural identity, and community health. Alexander hopes to contribute to research that not only advances scientific understanding, but also helps make healthcare more culturally informed, accessible, and meaningful for communities like his own.
Chloe Somontina (Valley Stream, NY)
Research
Hello! My name is Chloe Espiritu Somontina and I am thrilled to join the FYLPRO community as a Tayo Research Fellow. A little bit about me: I am 20 years old, a proud daughter of two Filipino immigrants and currently live in New York. I just graduated from Stony Brook University as a Political Science and Social Work Double major. I love helping others and I believe that doing research is a wonderful catalyst to provoke social change. I am very proud to be Filipino and think that being part of the TAYO research team and the FYLPRO community as a whole is a wonderful way to give back to the Filipino American community.
Mandy Bautista (Long Beach, CA)
Research
Hailing from Long Beach, California, Mandy Bautista is a Filipino-American student leader, healthcare advocate, and emerging community organizer, pursuing a BSN at the University of California, Irvine, Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing. He is committed to advancing culturally competent care and Fil-Am representation. Across his leadership tenure, he has served as Vice President (‘25-’26) and Media Manager (‘24-’25) of Alpha Tau Delta’s Alpha Epsilon Chapter, the national fraternity for professional nurses, and Co-Public Relations Coordinator (‘25-’26) and Omicron Class Intern (‘24-’25) for the Pilipinx Pre-Health Undergraduate Student Organization (PUSO) at UCI. Beyond campus, he has served as a Youth Ambassador for the National Psoriasis Foundation for the past 3 years, where he has shared his personal advocacy journey as a motivational speaker and podcast guest while supporting future fundraising and awareness initiatives for psoriatic disease.
Mandy’s dedication to service and leadership has earned him several recognitions, including being named one of eight national recipients of the 2025 Miriam Fay Furlong Scholarship by Alpha Tau Delta and one of two recipients of PUSO at UCI’s 2024 General Member of the Year award. As he continues his path toward becoming a registered nurse, Mandy hopes to build upon his experiences in healthcare, public relations, political activism, journalism, and community organizing to better serve the broader Filipino-American community with compassion, reliability, and purpose.
Abby Regacho (Las Vegas, NV)
Research
Abby Regacho is a second year medical student at Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine (TUNCOM). She completed her B.S. in Neurobiology and Physiology at Purdue University where she was president of Purdue Filipino Association and founder of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA). She was born in Manila, Philippines, and immigrated to Indiana at age twelve. She is interested in the specialty emergency medicine due to all the natural calamities she witnessed growing up in the Philippines.
Through the Tayo fellowship, she hopes to bridge gaps in research regarding health outcomes and disparities in medicine in Filipino and Filipino-American populations in the United States. She also hopes to raise awareness of the unique health needs of our community through research and advocacy.
Vincent Biascan (San Diego, CA)
Research and Policy, Advocacy, & Political Engagement
Hello, I am Vincent Biascan, a sophomore at UC Berkeley majoring in Public Health and intending to double major in Political Economy. I am passionate about health equity, specifically increasing access to quality healthcare services for underserved communities. My interests primarily lie in the management, operations, and policy side of healthcare, particularly in understanding how healthcare systems can operate more efficiently and equitably to better serve vulnerable populations.
A large part of my passion comes from witnessing healthcare disparities both in the Philippines and in the United States. Growing up, I experienced and observed how barriers such as cost, transportation, and language could make healthcare services difficult to access for many families and communities. Those experiences inspired me to pursue work centered on improving healthcare accessibility and outcomes, especially for historically underserved populations.
Sofia Domenench
Research
My name is Sofia Domenech, and I am a senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Biology and Medical Anthropology. I hope to pursue a Master’s degree before applying to medical school and eventually become a pediatrician or neonatologist. I am heavily involved in the Filipino community at UNC-CH through Kasama – The Filipino American Association of UNC-CH, which creates an inclusive and safe space where a diverse group of students can come and feel welcome while learning about Filipino culture. Some of my personal interests are reading fantasy books, baking/cooking new dishes, rewatching Studio Ghibli movies, and clothing shopping.
Alexa Ramos (Chino Hills, CA)
Research
Alexa Ramos is a dedicated and community-orientated college student, studying Psychobiology at the University of California Los Angeles. As an aspiring healthcare leader, she is interested in minoring in Public Health in order to gain insightful perspectives from both medical, social, and personal lenses. Uncovering implicit biases, tackling socioeconomic determinants of health, and helping others holistically are some goals she aims to meet.
Beyond academics, Alexa is involved with many programs related to empowering the community. At UCLA, she works with Pilipinos for Community Health to serve underprivileged communities with a variety of health resources including access to healthy groceries, blood pressure screenings, and other wellness resources. Additionally, as a member of her Student Wellness Commission, Alexa works with the Platforms team to plan campus-wide events, informing students about essential resources, providing basic needs to others, and promoting overall health. Beyond the school setting, she is associated with the non-profit organization Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) located at the heart of LA’s Historic Filipinotown (HiFi). Alexa has been working with SIPA for 2 years now where she has built advocacy skills, leads with intention, and elevates the importance of community solidarity. Important projects have been creating her own research paper about gentrification and displacement of HiFi and assisting in leading a town hall providing a safe space for community gathering and discussion.
Alyssa Panuelos (Los Angeles, CA)
Research
Alyssa Panuelos earned her Bachelor of Science in Public Health at Cal State LA. During her time there, she served as a teacher’s assistant, mentoring and supporting undergraduate students in their academic and professional development. She was also an active member of the Success Coaching program, where, through facilitating workshops, she helped freshmen learn and build the skills they needed to transition from high school to college. Alyssa also gained experience in public health and sexual and reproductive health education through her internship at APLA Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to healthcare access and supporting individuals living with HIV. As an emerging public health professional, Alyssa currently works at a nonprofit organization in Downtown LA, where she supports programs that promote youth and community health and wellbeing.
Born in Cavite, Philippines, and raised in Los Angeles, Alyssa recently participated in a humanitarian mission in the Philippines to reconnect with her hometown and deepen her understanding of global health. There, she worked alongside local communities to better understand the social determinants of health affecting residents due to ghost flood projects, and observed how environmental and infrastructure challenges influence community wellbeing. Passionate about advocacy, health equity, and community engagement, Alyssa is committed to learning from diverse populations and addressing health equities.
Qjiel Giuliano Mikhl Zamora Mariano (Toronto, CA)
Research
Qjiel Giuliano Mikhl Zamora Mariano is a Master of Science in Sustainable Healthcare student at the National University of Singapore. A recognized leader in global health and plastics research, he was named one of Canada’s 25 Environmentalists Under 25 in 2024. He graduated summa cum laude from York University as a Tentanda Via Scholar—a prestigious, full scholarship awarded to exceptional changemakers leading sustainable development initiatives. As a descendant of the Gaddang People of Isabela province, Qjiel bridges modern science and traditional knowledge to address environmental crises. His insights on indigenous health are featured in the UNICEF Children’s Environmental Health Collaborative Generation Plastic report, and he championed indigenous Filipino narratives at the INC-4 Global Plastics Treaty negotiations in Ottawa. An experienced international communicator, he has delivered workshops, podcasts, lectures, and TV appearances across the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Canada, and the USA.
Michi Lozada (Fuquay Varina, NC)
Research
Alissa Michiko “Michi” Lozada is a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) and proud daughter of immigrants from Cebu, Philippines. At UNC-Chapel Hill she is majoring in Statistics & Analytics with minors in Biology and Data Science, and her interests lie in public health, biostatistics, and quantitative pharmacology. Michi is passionate about using data-driven research to promote health and well-being among underserved communities, particularly within the Filipino American diaspora.
Beyond academics, Michi is a lifelong lover of both the sciences and the arts. She enjoys junk journaling, reading about anything and everything, playing electric bass, and making overly specific playlists. She is also passionate about languages, fluent in Cebuano and currently learning Japanese and Tagalog. Inspired by her background as a second-generation Filipina American, Michi is looking forward to bridging gaps in healthcare access and health education through culturally relevant advocacy, research, and community engagement to promote more equitable and accessible healthcare for all our kababayan.
Katareena Roska (Washington, D.C.)
Research
Katareena Roska is a rising junior at Northwestern University majoring in journalism, political science, and Asian American studies. As a reporter in D.C., she covered the White House, Capitol Hill, and the Supreme Court. Katareena is incredibly passionate about the intersections between politics, pop culture, fashion, and law — often speaking in obscure references and talking about movies. This summer, she will be interning at the ACLU. Talk to her about anything from the history of the American presidency to homemade strawberry matchas!
Kailey Shapiro (Reno, NV)
Research
Kailey Shapiro is a rising junior at Tulane University studying Neuroscience and Health Administration. As a part of the Tulane Pathways to Medicine Program, she has automatic acceptance into the Tulane School of Medicine upon completion of her undergraduate degree. Kailey has loved participating in Tulane University Filipino Student Association (TUFSA) and will serve as President this coming school year. She is excited to gain new research skills as a Tayo Fellow, collaborate across interdisciplinary fields, and learn more about Filipino health. As a future physician, Kailey hopes to create more equitable and accessible environments for patients. In her free time, she loves to rock climb, play guitar, and bake.
Elena Yeh (Providence, RI)
Research
About Tayo
Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO), is an innovative data hub that empowers Filipinx/a/o communities by collecting data, fostering partnerships, publishing culturally relevant insights, and developing leaders to create an equitable and sustainable future.
For more information, visit tayohelp.com.
About Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)
FILIPINO YOUNG LEADERS PROGRAM (FYLPRO) is a network of high performing, next-generation leaders who advance the Philippines and the Filipino people through their advocacy and expertise in various industries.
We continually expand the pipeline of Filipino young leaders in the diaspora. By connecting them to the motherland, we foster collaborative multinational relationships that create innovations and support the socio-economic progress of the global Filipino community.
For more information, visit fylpro.org.