Hispanic Initiatives Sub-Committee

Founder & Advisor of Hispanic Initiatives

​Rishi Upadhyay is a rising senior at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, California and will serve as co-chair of the NNEA Core Committee for the upcoming year. He attended SNP-REACH 2021 and was fascinated by the strengths based approach; from there, he became inspired to join NNEA, where he served as a member of the Public Relations Team and founded Hispanic Initiatives. He also founded the Neurodiversity club at his school and is the President of his school’s Spanish Honor Society. In his free time, he enjoys playing the piano, writing articles for his school newspaper, and racing RC cars.

Hispanic Initiatives Lead

​Allan leads Hispanic Initiatives and is a member of the Outreach and International Sub-committee. Allan is an advocate who enjoys informing others on neurodiversity topics. Allan also focuses on spreading awareness internationally. Society should be welcoming towards all types of minds. Allan wants to assist those who have difficulty in learning. Overcoming negative stereotypes about the neurodiverse community is important.

Hispanic Initiatives Member

Alina Samiullah is a sophmore at Portola High School in Southern California. She serves on NNEA’s Speaker Subcommittee and Hispanic Inititatives and was an SNP-REACH camper in 2022 where she created an educational module for parents and students. She gained valuable knowledge and experiences from it that inspired her to further become an advocate for neurodiversity. She has a passion for helping others, and has always been an advocate for neurodiversity inclusion. She is also a part of her school’s Bulldog Crew Buddy Club and tutors neurodivergent students math, from which she has fostered invaluable relationships. Outside of neurodiversity advocacy, Alina enjoys playing badminton, reading, spending time with friends and family, and baking.

Hispanic Initiatives Member

Sharvesh Prabhakar is a sophomore at Enochs High School in Modesto California. He is an avid advocate for Neurodiverse rights. His interests lie in neuroscience and medicine with aspirations of becoming a surgeon or doctor in the future. His interest in neurodiversity stems from his experiences in the community and stark lack of representation of pressing problems. His ultimate goal is to foster understanding and increase awareness.