Mark Manickath 

Committee Chair 

Class of 2029 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 

During my first semester of medical school, I struggled both academically and personally. Away from family and friends, I often felt isolated and unsure if I truly belonged. What helped me persevere was the support of my peers and mentors within the RGV community, who reminded me that success in medicine is built on connection, not perfection. Through them, I learned that wellness is not just about balance but also about belonging. My inspiration to join the Student Wellness Committee is to help foster that same sense of community for others and to make sure no one feels alone in their struggles. 

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about (e.g., mental health, physical fitness, nutrition, social connection, mindfulness)? 

I am very passionate about mental health and mindfulness. Throughout the past year, I’ve made intentional changes to prioritize my mental and physical well-being. I try to practice mindfulness every night, a habit rooted in my family’s Ayurvedic traditions and my father’s early lessons on meditation. This practice helps me manage stress, reflect on my emotions, and improve my sleep quality. 

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 

Running is one of the hobbies that I enjoy. Not only does it keep me grounded, but it also helps clear my mind and exercise my body.  

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 

As Wellness Chair, I hope to strengthen community across all class years by creating opportunities for genuine connection and shared fun. Our Houses often feel segmented, so I plan to expand the big-little system so each MS1 is paired with multiple upperclassmen for broader mentorship. I also want to host engaging, low-cost events like “bring-your-own” coffee or matcha socials and friendly competitions such as MarioKart or 8-ball tournaments to encourage collaboration and house pride. Finally, I hope to organize yoga sessions led by our student instructors and even introduce “Goat Yoga” to promote mindfulness and stress relief. Through these initiatives, I aim to make our wellness culture more inclusive, connected, and fun. 

Amulya Kallam 

Committee Co-Chair 

Class of 2029 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 

My inspiration comes from my own journey with personal wellness. Throughout undergrad, I had one goal: to do as much as I possibly could. I believed that the more I did, achieved, or even participated in, then the more “successful” I would be. But eventually, I would always end up back in a cycle of physical and mental exhaustion, all of which impacted by well-being. We often hear the phrase “fill your own cup first.” I realized that wellness did have to come first because that was the best, and maybe only, way that I could show up for myself and others. So over the past couple of years, I have made intentional efforts to prioritize my health and create sustainable routines. 

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about (e.g., mental health, physical fitness, nutrition, social connection, mindfulness)? 

I am a strong believer in that what eat, and even what we say to ourselves, plays a major role in our mental and physical health. For me, nutrition is one thing that I try and focus on because I know that it’s something that boosts my mental clarity and emotional balance.  

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 

Over the past year, I have really enjoyed getting back into practicing yoga. It was a regular part of my routine before starting medical school, so I knew this was something I wanted to carry in with me. Medical school is incredibly challenging and unpredictable, and yoga is one thing that remains steady for me. So, I have made it a tradition to go to an early morning yoga class before every quiz or exam that we take. It makes me feel more grounded, calm, and mentally prepared to start my day.  

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 

As we prepare to be future clinicians and patient advocates, it is important more than ever that we practice what we teach. We educate our patients on why personal health is important, however, we may ignore our wellness at the expense of doing well. I hope that by encouraging practices of wellness, slowly but surely our culture shifts to balance. I want to contribute to creating an environment that is not only safe but helps lead traditions that are personal to us. I truly believe in winning together and being on the same team. By serving on this committee, I am excited to be an advocate of any role and know that every day we are working together to celebrate our wins and be there for each other through our losses. 

Avery Nesson 

Programming Officer – Health & Wellness 

Class of 2029 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 

I was inspired to join the Student Wellness Committee because I’ve seen firsthand how vital genuine connection and self-awareness are to thriving in demanding environments. My own experiences have taught me that growth comes from purpose, reflection, community, and compassion for ourselves and for others. I want to help create spaces where students can pause, reflect, and feel supported and where wellness is the foundation that allows us to show up fully for our studies, each other, and the patients we’ll one day serve. 

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about? 

I am most passionate about mindfulness, physical fitness, and social connection.  

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 

One hobby that helps me maintain my own wellness is running while listening to podcasts. It allows me to keep my mind and body energized!  

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 

I hope to support my peers by serving as an accessible liaison between students and the committee—listening closely, communicating needs clearly, and helping translate feedback into meaningful wellness initiatives that reflect our students’ real experiences. I want to help foster an environment where students feel comfortable being open, supported, and seen. Whether that means checking in on a classmate, encouraging reflection, or creating spaces that promote balance and belonging, I hope to help make wellness something we live daily.  

Sydney Do 

Programming Officer – Health & Wellness 

Class of 2029 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 

I joined the Student Wellness Committee because I’ve seen how easily that we, as future physicians, forget to show the same care to ourselves that we often provide to others. In a field that already demands constant sacrifice and at times perfection, our well-being is the absolute one thing we cannot afford to sacrifice. A healthy balance between our careers, our mental health, and our physical state, is not just helpful, but necessary. It takes active work to find moments of stillness in a world that never pauses, and I want to actively be involved in a committee that creates opportunities for students to practice slowing down and resting, because I know how guilty it can feel to dedicate time for that. Wellness is a lifelong journey but one we are able to take day by day. 

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about (e.g., mental health, physical fitness, nutrition, social connection, mindfulness)? 

I am most passionate about mental health and mindfulness. Being present in every moment, rather than rushing toward the next thing on our to do list, is very freeing. As medical students, it’s easy to fall prey to anxiety, imposter syndrome, and this belief that we’re constantly running out of time, but finding peace amongst all the noise helps us to never lose sight of why we started this path in the first place. 

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 

I create a lot of charcoal art! I often draw portraits that explore different emotional subject matter. It’s like my own form of meditation, giving me a quiet, nonverbal space to decompress and steal back my own time. It’s a hobby  I’ve worked to preserve, even within the chaos of medical school. 

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 

I hope to remind my friends and classmates to nurture their emotional well-being just as much as they nurture their academics, to see rest, hobbies, and time for connection as not indulgent but essential to the journey of becoming physicians. 

Maximo Antonio Alvarez 

Programming Officer - Resilience and Mental Health. 

Class of 2029 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 

My primary inspiration for joining the student wellness committee stems from my interest in the human experience, and the development of self-actualizing behaviors. Both of which I have learned to appreciate through my unique experiences raising my brothers in a difficult home.  I had hoped that through participation in this committee I could help others in the same way that I have helped my younger brother develop himself into a healthier version of himself, who tries to understand and love himself daily.  

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about? 

I am especially interested in the intersections of mental health, social connection and physical fitness have to offer in helping one feel connected to themselves and their community. 

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 

I maintain my mental health through frequent exercise, but my wellness is promoted by playing Victoria 3, a macroeconomic simulator videogame based on the Victorian era. It is very stimulating and combines 2/3 of my favorite academic topics, political economy and history. 

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 

I hope to support my peers through fun community building events like races, and by improving our local community through local projects. In this way I hope to create an environment that allows for community to be built while also promoting wellbeing. 

Maci Oestreich  

Programming Officer - Resilience and Mental Health​ 

Class of 2028 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee?  

I joined the Student Wellness Committee because I believe that when future physicians prioritize their own health and well-being, they’re better equipped to care for their patients and communities.  

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about (e.g., mental health, physical fitness, nutrition, social connection, mindfulness)?  

I am most passionate about mental health and social connections. 

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness.  

I try to watch at least one non-academic video or show each day to unwind, and I love taking my dogs for walks at a nearby state park. 

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee?  

I plan to help teach my peers how to nurture their mental wellbeing and build their emotional toolbox.  

Maria Sophia Malbas 

MS3 Co-Student Liaison 

Class of 2027 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 

My past experience with mental health advocacy through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) inspired me to continue promoting wellness in medical school. I believe wellness should be something we build and sustain within ourselves and together as a community. 

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about (e.g., mental health, physical fitness, nutrition, social connection, mindfulness)? 
I’m most passionate about mindfulness, self-compassion, resilience, daily movement, and positive social connection. 

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 
My favorite hobbies include ballet, video games (The Sims 4, Mario Kart), coloring, doing my nails, crocheting, and watching movies or going out to eat with friends/family. 

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 
By offering a calm, reassuring presence and helping connect others to the right resources. I also hope to take part in events that bring us together and make wellness feel approachable. 

Andrea Margarita Argenal 

MS3s Co- Student Liaison 

Class of 2027 

What inspired you to join the Student Wellness Committee? 
 I truly believe that medical students are like professional athletes. We can only perform at our best when we take care of our sleep, nutrition, exercise, and mental wellbeing. Supporting others in finding that balance feels both meaningful and necessary to me.  

What areas of wellness are you most passionate about? 
I am especially passionate about balance including social connection, mental health and physical wellness. I think that taking a holistic approach to wellbeing helps us not only succeed academically but also grow as future physicians who can model healthy habits for our patients. I believe that it is our responsibility to lead by example.  

Share one fun fact or hobby that helps you maintain your own wellness. 
My favorite way to move my body is through yoga and dance. Ashtanga yoga brings structure, ritual, and discipline to my exercise routine, while dance allows me to express myself more freely and creatively. Both practices give me a sense of inner peace and balance. 

How do you hope to support your peers through your role on the committee? 
I hope to help create spaces and initiatives that remind students that caring for themselves is not optional; it’s essential. Whether through events, conversations, or simply leading by example, I want to encourage others to prioritize their wellbeing just as much as their academic goals. Beyond individual wellness, I want to be an advocate for meaningful change within the school to ensure that our learning environment truly supports the wellbeing of all students.