about us
What is it really like to be a young person in America?
Policymakers, school boards, community leaders, and the media talk a lot about young people and make laws on behalf of young people, without ever asking what youth really think. MyVoice was created to give young people an effective way to share their real-time thoughts and opinions on the issues that matter most in their lives.
Many young people feel like their voices aren’t heard by the people shaping their schools, communities, and country. With MyVoice, young people across the United States can sound off on issues that matter today, in our weekly, text message-based polls. We chose text messaging as the way to hear from young people because this fits so easily with their day-to-day lives. Do you know anyone that doesn’t text? Responses are quickly analyzed so they can be shared with the policy makers, public agencies, and community groups that are making decisions that impact young people’s lives.
The goal of MyVoice is to lift up the voices and experiences of today’s youth in ways that help local and national leaders create more youth-friendly policies and programs!
Our Team
Tammy Chang
MyVoice Director
Tammy Chang is a family doctor and researcher with a passion for helping young people stay healthy. Her research uses text messaging and social media to understand what young people think is important. Her favorite food is ice cream and she loves to dance!
Marika Waselewski
MyVoice Project Manager
Marika Waselewski is a research program manager with a background in Biomedical Engineering and Public Health. Her research interests are in use of technology to improve public health outcomes and quality of care. Marika enjoys cheering on Michigan sports, chasing her children, connecting with friends, and running in her free time!
Sam Chusiano, MPH, CLC
Sam Chuisano (she/her) is a Research Specialist in the Department of Family Medicine. After completing her masters degree in public health nutrition, Sam focused on increasing access to high-quality lactation support and reproductive care. More recently, Sam has worked as the program manager for MYHealth, a research training program for high school students that aims to increase representation of historically excluded groups in research. In her free time, Sam loves to spend time outside or snuggling with her dog, Lily.
Ailish Dougherty
Ailish Dougherty is a rising fourth-year medical student at the University of Michigan. She plans on applying into Family Medicine residency at the end of this year, with the eventual goal of using her background as a high school educator to inform her practice as primary care physician with a focus on Adolescent Medicine.
Melissa DeJonckheere
Melissa DeJonckheere is a researcher in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on adolescent health and chronic conditions, like diabetes. She also is Director of MYHealth, a research training program for high school students in Southeast Michigan.
Carson Downer
Carson Downer is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. He hopes to major in Public Policy with a minor in Political Science and Law, Justice, and Social Change. He has been a student researcher with MyVoice since 2023. In his spare time, Carson enjoys playing hockey, going on trips, and hanging out with friends.
Hannah Hua
Hannah Hua is a graduate from Michigan State University’s Lyman Briggs College. During her undergraduate studies, she majored in Neuroscience and minored in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Some of her hobbies include reading, baking, and gardening.
Arianne Hunter
Arianne Hunter is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. She hopes to major in Psychology with a minor in Community Action and Social Change. She joined the MyVoice team in 2025 and in her free time she enjoys biking, listening to music, traveling, spending time with friends, and gardening.
Kendrin Sonneville
Kendrin Sonneville is a Registered Dietitian and researcher at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on adolescent nutrition, and preventing eating disorders. She has experience working with large adolescent cohort studies.
Alyssa Tisch
Alyssa Tisch is an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. She is double majoring in Political Science and Communications and Media, and has strong interests in both journalism and law. She has been a student researcher with MyVoice since 2024. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends.
VG Vinod Vydiswaran
VG Vinod Vydiswaran is a computer scientist in the Department of Learning Health Sciences at University of Michigan. He has expertise analyzing health related data posted on social media. He is also one of a few national experts in natural language processing of online health data, or the automated analysis of online information.
Alumni
Xochitl Amaro
Caleb Arthur, MD
Mikayla Barry
Caroline Bartholomew
Claire Chang
Kiren Chaudhry
Matt Dunn
Matt Davis
Nathan Elder
Katie Foug
Jayde Frederick
Ruben Furst
Vinaya Gogineni
Stephen Gorga, MD
Aria Grabowski
Tim Guetterman
Alice Guo
Victoria Guzman
Aspen Hanson
Kelsey Herbert
Caroline Hogan, MD
Aamina Hussain
Omar Ilyas
Sarosh Irani
Noa Kim
Karissa Koomen
Laura Kruger, MD
Sunghee Lee
Kerrie Leonard
Anish Mandala
Michelle Moniz
N’Dea Moore-Petinak
Lauren Nichols
Jack Nawrocki
Cathy Park
Missy Plegue
Keagan Pratt
Maggie Riley
Kelsey Rose
Jane Schmid
Alison Schulte
Rick Schulte
Arianna Strome
Park Szachta
Alex Waselewski, MD
Eric Waselewski, MD
Sam Schuiteman
Kate Siroky
Tamara Terraza
Megha Uberoi
Christopher Whitlock
Clara Wolff
Our Partners
