Danielle D’Annibale
Position: Co-President
Year: 3rd
Major: Integrative Biology with a minor in Spanish
Hobbies: Running, swimming, reading, watching Grey’s Anatomy
Quote: “There are many aspects of health, including mental, physical, and nutritional, that are all significant in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. As college students, it is easy to forgo exercise and nutrition in order to devote more time to studying. However, the key is realizing that incorporating 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine, and choosing that apple over those chips, will actually make you more productive and feel better!”
Lauren D’Annibale
Position: Co-President
Year: 2nd
Major: Public Health
Hobbies: Exercising, eating, going to the beach, hanging out with family/friends
Quote: “Treating our minds and bodies the right way and having a good diet will allow us to lead happy and healthy lives. This can be accomplished through exercising, eating foods that are natural and rich in nutrients, and ridding ourselves of stress. I aspire to guide others in achieving such a lifestyle so that their lives can be improved mentally, physically, and nutritionally.”
Caitlin Lombardi
Position: Vice President
Year: 4th (Junior)
Major: Sociology with a minor in Conservation of Resources
Hobbies: Being in the outdoors, painting, reading, spending time with family/friends
Quote: “I am interested in nutrition because I grew up in a home where health was paramount, and it became natural for me to not only prefer an apple over a candy bar, but to also crave it. I can remember sleeping over at friends’ houses and having their parents serve doughnuts for breakfast. I hated that – it gave me a stomachache and I went home begging my mom for some greens and a box of raspberries. I got excited over wheat grass shots, and about cried when I bought my Nutribullet. Health (both physical and mental) and fitness are close to my heart because they truly are important cornerstones of a GOOD LIFE!”
Alicia (Junyi) Wang
Position: Treasurer
Year: 3rd
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology & Business Administration
Hobbies: Watching Korean TV shows/dramas
Quote: “Keeping in mind nutrition when selecting what to eat is very key to a healthy lifestyle. Sometimes we are tempted in college to all different kinds of less healthy foods, therefore I would like to promote healthy alternatives to the broader community at UC Berkeley.”
Lily (Yeyoon) Choi
Position: Secretary
Year: 2nd
Major: Public Health
Hobbies: Watching movies, online shopping, eating desserts for fun
Quote: “As a student pursuing a career in healthcare, I find nutrition of utmost importance. In a stressful environment such as Berkeley, I find nutrition to be one of the prime factors contributing to students’ successes. My goal is to spread awareness regarding the mind and body so that students and the Berkeley community can lead healthy and successful lives.”
Samira Irfan
Position: Publicity Director
Year: 4th
Major: Integrative Biology
Hobbies: Cooking, baking, drawing, traveling
Quote: “I think eating right is not just about losing weight, but also about cultivating a healthy, happy, and stimulating lifestyle. Being an ardent cook and baker, I am really passionate about creating tasty food palates that are dense in nutrients, which can make you feel satiated and energized!”
Yensy Zetino
Position: Social Chair
Year: 2nd
Major: Molecular and Cell Biology & Gender and Women Studies
Hobbies: Hiking
Quote: “Being premed, I believe that many problems can be prevented by starting at the basics, with nutrition being one of them. Practicing and advocating for nutrition at an early state of life—our college years—will help in the long run, especially since many of us have the mindset of just waiting until something goes wrong. Yet we have no clue that while we wait, several things are going bad on a microscopic level. They may not seem bad at that moment, but eventually they all add up.”
Jocelyn Vasquez
Position: Social Chair
Year: 4th
Major: Public Health & Anthropology
Hobbies: Drawing, jogging, cooking
Quote: “As a busy college student, I understand how easy it is to neglect your physical and mental well-being. Having lived part of my life without medical insurance, I also understand the importance of preventitive medicine and taking a holistic approach to health. This led me to join Mind Body Nutrition with the goal of improving the overall quality of life of students by educating them about the importance of caring for one’s self.”
Nina Gnong
Position: Webmaster
Year: 4th
Major: Public Health (emphasis in infectious disease)& Molecular and Cell Biology (emphasis in neurobiology)
Hobbies: Hiking, learning new languages, watching TV
Quote: “When I was a child, my uncle told me that you are what you eat. At the time, I was eating a watermelon, and I remember being very scared and then refusing to eat anything for a while. I eventually forgot about what he said and ate whatever tasted good. However, as I grew older, I began to understand what he meant. Eating healthy not only helped me be fitter, but it also made me feel better. Thus, I believe nutrition is important for us to be the best we can be, and to live a long life.”