Youth Speakers

Andres Valle

El Paso, Texas, Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth

Andres Valle, an El Paso, Texas native, is passionate about the intersection of substance use prevention and mental health. As the founder of Teens Supporting Teens, he has led prevention campaigns, created an app and website spreading mental health and substance use resources, and has shaped partnerships with Emergence Health Network & Texas Health and Human Services. As a Youth Leadership Council Member for Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, he has used his voice to testify on bills protecting Texas youth from harmful substances, with multiple appearances on the Texas Capitol floor—he is passionate about civic engagement and systemic change.

Harini Senthil

Jenks, Oklahoma, Tulsa Changemakers

Harini Senthil is a freshman at Brown University who is passionate about finding empathetic, person-centered solutions to the opioid epidemic. She serves on the Youth National Opioid and Wellness Task Force and the Tulsa Opioid Informed Youth Advisory Board, advocating for youth perspectives in substance use prevention education. She has presented about authentic teen engagement in prevention at Recovery Research Institute’s Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, Zarrow Mental Health Symposium, and Oklahoma Summer Policy Institute. Harini has conducted qualitative research on stigmatizing language and perceptions of addiction with the Aspen Institute. After realizing the lack of public awareness about safe medication disposal was contributing to a rise in overdoses and pharmaceutical pollution, she helped create an app, Crisis Averted, to navigate medication take-back events and resources. She is a Carnegie Young Leader, National Youth Science Camp delegate, UNICEF Youth Advocate, and Congressional App Challenge Winner. In her TEDxYouth talk, she discusses the impact of low health literacy on long-term outcomes and quality of life. Harini hopes to pursue a career in addiction psychiatry, combining scientific understanding with compassionate care.