KIN UC Santa Barbara
KIN UC Santa Barbara
2025-2026
Kaila Yi
Chapter Director
Hi! I’m Kaila, a fourth year biology major with a pharmacology emphasis, and I am SO EXCITED to be KIN’s Chapter Director this year! Being a part of KIN is such a fulfilling experience because we work together to create a foundation for nutrition education in our very own local community. I love regaling kids about mindful eating habits and sustainability while also learning alongside them! KIN’s mission to forge the precedent for a healthful lifestyle within the younger generation deeply resonates with me, and I am eager to carry on its cause with my team. In my free time, I love baking, working out, exploring arts/crafts, and volunteering with animals!
Dinamarie Barrientos
Community Clinics Co-Director
Hi! I’m Dinamarie Barrientos, and I’m a first-year biopsychology major. I am so excited to be a co-director for Community Clinics! I joined Kids in Nutrition (KIN) because understanding how to properly fuel your body is essential for overall health. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and listening to music. I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing community that promotes healthy habits!
Emily Chen
Community Clinics Co-Director
Hi! I’m Emily, a first-year biology major and one of the co-directors for Community Clinics in KIN. I love being part of KIN because it allows me to blend my passion for health and nutrition with my enjoyment of working with kids. In my free time, I enjoy running, baking, and listening to music. I’m so excited to be a part of this team and see everything we accomplish this year!
Lily Weiss
Community Clinics Co-Director
Hi! My name is Lily and I am the Director of Community Clinics for KIN! This is my fourth and last 🙁year on the KIN board. I am very excited to work with the kids and clinics in the community to teach children about nutrition. In my free time I enjoy running, painting, and roller skating. I am so excited for a great year of KIN and helping the clinics! ♥️
Sonia Jekle
Food Access Co-Director
Hello! My name is Sonia Jekle, and I am so beyond excited to join KIN as a Food Access Director. I am a third-year biology major interested in pursuing a career in public health. I am ready to help tackle the systemic issue of food inequity through both education and increasing food access. I love teaching with kids and laughing at all the goofy knock-knock jokes they try to come up with at the end of each lesson.
Brianna Garcia
Food Access Co-Director
Hey I’m Brianna, one of the Food Access Directors!! I’m a third year Cell and Developmental Biology major with an Art minor. I’ve been a KINstructor since my fall quarter freshman year and I can honestly say it’s my favorite part of every week. I absolutely adore talking to all the kids and creating wonderful friendships with them throughout the quarter while teaching them the importance of loving and taking care of their bodies from a young age. In my spare time, I love to explore different crafts like pottery, painting, sewing, nail art, and also enjoy being outdoors!
Pratham Kumar
Food Access Co-Director
Hey, I’m Pratham! I am a 3rd year microbiology major, and I am excited to announce I will be one of the Food Access Co-Directors for KIN! I initially joined KIN to work on public speaking skills in front of large audiences, but I have also come to love the effect that I can have on the kids’ nutrition by teaching them how to stay healthy. I love going to the gym, playing any sport with a ball involved, playing brawl stars, taking a nice nap, and going on little sidequests. I can’t wait to work with everyone here!
Bryan Lim
Food Access Co-Director
Hi, my name is Bryan! I'm a 1st-year biopsychology major, and I'm very excited to be one of the Co-Directors for the Food Access Team! I'm passionate about teaching kids about nutrition, and I really enjoy being here at KIN! KIN has been amazing and fun to participate in, and I appreciate KIN's goals of improving public and environmental health. I love listening to music, hanging out with friends, and reading!
Kobe Nguyen
Research Co-Director
Hello! My name is Kobe Nguyen and I am a 3rd year Cell and Developmental biology major and I am excited to be part of the research team for KIN! Professionally, I am primarily interested in aging and longevity, specifically looking into the lifestyle changes such as movement and nutrition that could positively affect the risk factors to liver cancer such as being prediabetic and having non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I am also interested in gene and cellular therapies, developments in pharmaceutical drugs to defend against disease, and research into nutrition associated with increased healthspan! My interests with nutritional related diseases like T2DM, leads to my interest in food insecurity as the underlying cause of these diseases. I fell in love with KIN’s mission of education and healthy living and I am extremely happy to be a part of the team now!
Kaede Juarez
Research Co-Director
Hi, I’m Kaede and I am a research co-director for KIN! I am a fourth year biological sciences major. I love getting to teach kids about healthy eating habits and how engaged they are in our lessons! I’m excited to research more about our impact on the kid’s lives and how much they are learning from the KIN lessons! One of my favorite healthy meals is salmon bowls, and I enjoy cooking, walks, and watching professional sports! I can’t wait to teach more kids this year in KIN!
Dylan Giesecke
Research Co-Director
Hi! My name is Dylan and I’m a fourth year bio-psychology major. I love getting to teach the next generation about building healthy and sustainable habits. KIN encourages me to by my best self while helping others do the same. When I have free time I enjoy going to the gym, going to the beach, hanging with friends, and watching shows.
Emily Tian
Research Co-Director
Hello! I’m Emily, and I’m a third-year Stats and Data Science major. I love seeing students interacting with our nutrition education while having fun. As research director, I’m interested in how we can promote longevity on a population level, and I believe that this begins by providing the youth with the proper education and resources. In my free time, I love digital art, figure skating, piano, and violin!
Aditii Srinivasan
Research Co-Director
Hi, I’m Aditii and I am one of KIN’s co-research directors this year! I am a fourth-year Biological Sciences major with a minor in Applied Psychology, and this is my first year on the KIN Board. I loved volunteering in the first-grade classrooms to teach KIN lessons last year, and am super excited to help lead our research division and make those in-class lessons more effective. Outside of school, I love to sing, fill my camera roll with beach sunset pictures, and watch basketball. I can’t wait to start working with my co-directors and our students this year!
Abhiyan Kota
Finance Co-Director
Hi! I’m Abhiyan and I’m one of the Finance Directors. I am a fourth year microbiology major. I joined KIN because I believe in the importance of teaching nutritional ideas from an early age, especially knowing that these kids can carry these ideas with them throughout their lives. It feels so rewarding to know what a positive impact our organization has on all these kids, and it’s my goal to only further this impact by improving the strength and resources of KIN. Outside of school, I love to work out, play basketball, and have a good time with my friends.
Ethan Fook
Finance Co-Director
Hi! I’m Ethan and I’m one of the co-finance directors! I am a fourth year bio-psychology major and I joined KIN because I’m passionate about nutrition and being healthy. Being able to teach the kids about healthy nutritional habits and having an impact on them early on is something that I value greatly. In my free time I enjoy playing basketball and hanging out with friends!
Ian Fong
Education Co-Director
Hi! My name is Ian and I’m a fourth year biology major. I joined KIN because I am really passionate about maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. KIN has been an amazing opportunity to teach kids about healthy eating at an early age and I look forward to teaching more classes this year. In my free time, I enjoy weightlifting, running, cooking, and hanging out with friends.
Anusha Srinivas
Education Co-Director
Hi! My name is Anusha, and I am so excited to serve as an Education Chair for KIN. I am a fourth year biopsychology major. I love inspiring the next generation to develop healthy habits, and love creating interesting and fun curriculum as part of the Education board! I love seeing the kids get so excited about what we teach them and carry it on with them throughout their lives! In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, going on walks, and baking! I’m so excited to continue being a part of KIN this next year!
Brooke Saathoff
Education Co-Director
Hi, I’m Brooke! I’m a fourth year biology major and currently serve as one of the Co-Education Directors for KIN. I’ve really enjoyed being a part of this club because it gives me the chance to connect with kids and help them build a foundation for healthy living. One of the most rewarding parts is seeing how much they absorb, it’s so inspiring to see them retain key lessons and get excited about nutrition. Outside of class, I love spending time outdoors skiing, sailing, and hiking, as well as doing various crafts to unwind!
Ben Rivera
Education Co-Director
Hi! I’m Ben, and I’m one of the Education Directors. I am a fourth-year Biology major with a minor in Applied Psychology. I joined KIN because I’ve seen how nutrition can impact people’s health and confidence, and I want to help kids build healthy habits early on. Teaching gives me the chance to empower kids to make healthier choices, and I’m excited to share lessons they can bring home to their families. Outside of school, I enjoy working out, golfing, playing pickleball, and hanging with friends!
Vidya Kotipalli
Education Co-Director
Hi, I’m Vidya! I am one of the education co-directors and I am a biopsychology major. I joined KIN because I am passionate about working with kids, and I loved the idea of teaching them about nutrition during their childhood. After joining KIN, I realized how rewarding it is to teach children on such an important topic, and I am excited to have the opportunity to create a bigger impact on their curriculum and teaching methods. In my free time, I love to work out, cook different types of cuisines, and spend time with my friends and family.
Mia Yang
Social Co-Director
Hi! I am Mia and I am one of the social chairs. I am a fourth year biopsychology major. I joined KIN because I love working with and teaching kids. It's so fulfilling seeing the student get excited about learning. In the future, my goal is to attend medical school and work in pediatrics. Outside of school, I love dancing, the beach, reading and anything Disney. I am so excited for this upcoming year!
Vivian Bui
Social Co-Director
Hello! My name is Vivian Bui. I am a second-year Biopsychology major and one of the co-social chairs. I joined KIN because it combined two of my greatest passions: working with kids and sharing knowledge on health and wellness through nutrition. My favorite thing about being in KIN has been seeing the kids able to recall and apply the lessons we teach them, demonstrating the impact of our work. In my free time, I enjoy baking, going for walks on the beach, making Pinterest boards, and spending time with friends.
Callie Thai
Outreach Co-Director
Hi I’m Callie and I am one of the co-outreach directors! I’m a third year biochemistry-molecular biology major. I joined KIN because I get to teach kids about the importance of healthy eating and moderation. I love seeing how engaged the kids are with the lessons and the impact KIN has on the community. In my free time, I enjoy running, reading, and trying new foods.
Yumiko Florando
Outreach Co-Director
Hi, I’m Yumiko! I am a fourth year biology major, and I am so excited to join the board as an outreach director! As someone passionate about public health, KIN’s mission to improve health equity and education really speaks to me. While teaching students about healthy habits and encouraging positive relationships with food, I have also learned so much. I look forward to continuing to reach out and engage with the greater community in the coming year!
Kate Messerli
Outreach Co-Director
Hi! My name is Kate and I’m so excited to be one of the outreach directors for KIN this year! I am a third year biology and global studies major. I am passionate about public health and community outreach and education, so I am so excited to work with KIN’s goals on furthering nutritious practices in our community. In my free time I enjoy photography, reading, and hiking!
Neela Iyer
Outreach Co-Director
Hi, I’m Neela and I’m a 4th year biopsychology major, and one of the Outreach Directors! I joined KIN because I love working with kids, and I think it’s important for them to learn about healthy eating habits from a young age. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, crocheting, and reading.
Noelle Nashed
Outreach Co-Director
Hi, my name is Noelle Nashed, and I am an outreach director for KIN. I am a 4th year biological sciences major, and I have been a part of KIN since my freshman year. I truly love this club, and I think it is an amazing way to get involved with our local community!! Getting to interact with so many different kids, and making connections is such a unique experience.
Ariana Navarro
Operations Director
Hi! My name is Ariana, and I am excited to serve as the Operations Director for KIN. I’m a third-year biology major with a passion for health and wellness. KIN has been such an amazing organization to be a part of and I find it extremely rewarding to have the opportunity to teach kids in our community about the importance of nutrition! I’m looking forward to working with our team to promote healthy eating habits and inspire the next generation to make informed choices about their nutrition. I enjoy working out, baking, and hanging out with friends in my free time. I cannot wait for what this year brings to KIN!
Sarah Boehm
Co-Athletic Ambassador
Hi! I’m Sarah, a fourth-year Psychological and Brain Sciences Major. I joined UCSB Kids In Nutrition (KIN) because I’m passionate about educating kids on the fundamentals of health and making a positive impact on their future well-being. As one of the Athletic Ambassadors, I’m excited to bring fun, engaging ways to incorporate physical activity into our lessons. The opportunity to influence young minds and promote healthy habits truly fuels my passion. Outside of school, I love thrifting, working out, and spending time with friends! So excited for the year ahead!
Stephanie Schenone
Co-Althetic Ambassador
Hi my name is Steph! I am so beyond excited to join the KIN board as co-athletic ambassador. I am a third-year biopsychology major. As a fitness instructor and an aspiring Registered Dietitian, I am passionate about fostering lifelong wellness habits through both exercise and nutrition. While our goal as KIN is to teach young children about healthy and sustainable eating, my additional goal as athletic ambassador is for them to experience the joy and benefits of staying active. Outside of school and work, I love to cook, lift, hike, and go to the beach. I am so grateful to be part of this amazing team and cannot wait to see what this year brings!
