Ashley Uyeshiro Simon is the Course Coordinator and a professor for OT-100 THRIVE: Foundations of Well-Being, a course designed for students, by students, to promote well-being and mental health among undergraduates. She also teaches OT-101 Caring for Your Self, a course dedicated to learning about self-care and behavior change through personal application to daily life.
For seven years, Dr. Uyeshiro Simon previously worked at the USC OT Faculty Practice where she applied Lifestyle Redesign® for clients with behavioral health difficulties, chronic pain, chronic headaches, Multiple Sclerosis, and Parkinson’s Disease. She is a National MS Society Partner in MS Care, and is a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist.
Dr. Uyeshiro Simon received her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree in 2011, her MA degree in Occupational Therapy, and her BA degree in Psychology from the University of Southern California. She is currently the Faculty in Residence at Birnkrant Residential College on USC’s University Park Campus.
Amy Lee (@amy_lee, she/her) is a Los Angeles-based, Korean influencer most known for her impeccable style, her happy-go-lucky positivity, her vivacious personality, as well as her passion for encouraging self-development and self-love.
In her popular YouTube series “The AM with Amy,”, she tackles one important topic per episode as she gets ready in the morning, including mental health, insecurity, anxiety, current social issues, self-esteem, diversity, or any other topic that may be on her mind that day. Amy is extremely precise when creating content, making sure there is an aesthetic consistency and that each post is polished and professional.
Dior Vargas (@dior_vargas, she/her), MS, MPH is a Queer Latina Feminist Mental Health Activist and the creator of the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project, a response to the invisibility of Black Indigenous People of Color in the media representation of mental illness. She is also the editor of The Color of My Mind, a photo essay book based on the photo project.
Dior is the recipient of numerous awards, including the White House Champion of Change for Disability Advocacy Across Generations under the Obama Administration, the 2015 Alternatives Conference Cookie Grant and Bill Compton LGBTQI Leadership Award, a 2017 Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame Inductee, and a 2020 Diversability D-30 Disability Impact List Honoree.
Dior tours the country delivering keynotes, hosting workshops, and speaking on panels, and her work and insight have been covered in media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, Newsweek, and NBC News Latino.
Priscilla O. Agyeman (@brwn.sugrr, she/her), MPH is the CEO & founder of Saddie Baddies™ @saddie_baddies, a virtual safe space for women of color to destigmatize mental health and initiate collective healing.
Saddie Baddies™ is dedicated to bridging the gap between mental health awareness and minority communities. Since its launch in March 2019, Saddie Baddies™ has covered over 70 topics related to mental health, wellness, and lived experiences as people of color. Saddie Baddies™ has partnered with brands such as Movita Organics and Rare Beauty, and has collaborated with other wellness entrepreneurs and organizations through Instagram Live, interviews, and virtual workshops. Saddie Baddies™ has organically blossomed as a growing community of more than 8k followers including women and men of color and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Saddie Baddies™ has also been featured in PopSugar, PBS American Portrait, and SELF magazine as one of "44 Mental Health Resources for Black People Trying to Survive this Country."
Priscilla has set the intention to make mental health a palatable and relatable topic, and through her own journey with mental health, she hopes to connect more women of color to join the conversation.
