Meet the Team

Founders

Four young men in suits shaking hands and smiling in a hallway, engaged in friendly conversation.

Nathan Allipeta, Jathan Nandi, Nathan Chang and Rayhan Mahamed (as shown in picture order) are four passionate individuals committed to driving change through empathy, creativity, and leadership. Rayhan brings a strong sense of community and initiative, always stepping up to bridge gaps and create inclusive spaces. Jathan offers strategic thinking and a calm, steady presence, helping guide the group’s vision with clarity and purpose. Nathan Chang brings innovation and energy, constantly pushing boundaries with fresh ideas and thoughtful execution. Together, they form a dynamic trio working to mend divisions and build stronger, more connected communities through The Mending Playbook.

Staff and Officers

  • Young man in a black athletic tank top smiling, on a running track.

    Max Chang-Amayo

    Head Writer

    A current senior at Arcadia High School, Max runs on the varsity cross country and track teams. With a strong passion for running, biology, and laughter, Max aims to bring nuanced insights, fascinating research, and high-quality work to The Mending Playbook. Max is most often found listening to Radiohead, watching video essays, and making crosswords.

  • Close-up of a smiling young man with dark brown hair, wearing wireless earbuds, with a patterned wall in the background.

    Andrew Zhang

    Head Editor

    Andrew Zhang is currently a junior at Arcadia High and is in the Track and Field Team. During his free time he likes to read manga and light novel, hang out with friends, and play games like League of Legend.

  • A young man with dark hair and acne sits at a desk in a home office, wearing a gray polo shirt. Behind him are a potted plant, a stack of books, a computer monitor, and various office supplies.

    Justin Liao

    Chief Technical Officer

    Justin, a junior at Arcadia High School, is an avid tennis athlete. His profound interest in the intersection of medicine and technology is evident through his involvement in the biology, physics, and robotics team, reflecting his ambition to become a biomedical engineer. Justin is driven by a mission to create dynamic initiatives in biomedical engineering.

  • A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair and a smile sitting on the ground beside a bed of vibrant orange and pink flowers in an outdoor garden or park area.

    Alyssa Acosta

    Staff Writer

    Alyssa is a first-year at Harvard University and cheers on the varsity cheer team. She hopes to study Psychology or Neuroscience on the pre-med track. Outside academics, Alyssa works as a Wellness Educator promoting healthy practices and creating a safe space for students. Before Harvard, she was a two-time WCTSMA state champion in the student forum and a member of her school’s Anatomage team, which placed 3rd at WCTSMA state.

  • A young man with dark, curly hair wearing a purple button-down shirt with rolled-up sleeves and black pants, standing in a dimly lit parking lot at night. He's crossing his arms and looking pensively into the distance, with a red car partially visible on his left and city lights blurred in the background.

    Aayush Dhaimade

    Staff Writer

    Aayush is an incoming senior at Arcadia High School. He has always been involved in sports, starting with soccer at a young age, and recently, jiujitsu and mixed mixed martial arts. With an interest in teaching others about sports stories and injury prevention, Aayush will provide intriguing and relevant information to help athletes find success on and off the field.

  • A young girl with long dark hair and earrings taking a selfie outdoors, with trees and greenery in the background.

    Yong-Lin Hu

    Staff Writer

    Yong-Lin is a current junior at Arcadia High School and competes on the Varsity Track Team. She participates in the hurdles as well as some of the jumping events. As a fellow sleepy and moody kid, she loves to teach others on topics she’s passionate about! During her free time she can be found hugging her dog, crocheting, or baking.

  • A young man with dark hair and eyebrows, wearing a light pink button-up shirt, smiling at the camera in an outdoor setting at night.

    Rohan Joshi

    Staff Writer

    Rohan is a senior at Baton Rouge High School who is interested in a wide variety of subjects, including science, math, and history. He is eager to pursue a career in medicine. In his free time, he enjoys playing the guitar, hanging out with friends, and watching and playing football (Go Bills!). Rohan is interested in writing for TMP to expand his knowledge on sports injuries and to improve his experience on the subject.

  • A young man in glasses and a black and gray jacket taking a selfie in front of a colorful teacup ride at an amusement park, with a boy making a peace sign in the background.

    Neo Lau

    Staff Writer

    Neo is currently a junior attending Arcadia High School and is involved in both the cross-country and track teams. He's a big fan of spectating other sports, especially the NBA, and enjoys playing the violin. He looks forward to learning all there is to sports and simultaneously improving his writing skills in the process.

  • A young boy leaning on a railing near the water at night, with city lights reflecting on the water and boats in the background.

    Byron Lei

    Staff Writer

    Byron Lei is a current freshman at Arcadia High School who is a member of the cross-country and track team. He is interested in the medical field. Outside of school he is an avid table tennis player and enjoys spending time with friends. Byron is excited to start writing for TMP and hopes to provide readers with newfound knowledge.

  • A young girl with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing a yellow top, smiling at the camera in an indoor setting with colorful decorations and plants in the background.

    Annette Lin

    Staff Editor

    Annette Lin is a poet, pianist, and student with an ardent passion for public transportation. She is dedicated to broadening access to education, providing free academic tutoring to foreign and domestic students since 2020. At school, Annette edits a literary magazine and leads a history bowl team. Annette keeps herself from doomscrolling by weaponizing her student status for discounts at her local symphony orchestra, scrapbooking, and collecting secondhand dictionaries.

  • A young person with crossed arms standing on a dock at night, next to a body of water, with a lit residential area and trees in the background.

    Aaron Ly

    Staff Writer

    Aaron is a senior on Arcadia High School’s cross country/track & field teams. With a strong curiosity for medicine, Aaron aims to support his fellow athletes in maintaining their well-being inside and outside of the sport. Other than running, Aaron's favorite activities include playing the guitar and taking naps.

  • A young boy with dark hair sitting outdoors near a sports field, smiling and looking to the side.

    Dawud Malik

    Staff Writer

    Dawud, currently a freshman at Arcadia High, is a runner for the cross country and track team. He is passionate about running, cooking, baking and writing. In his free time Dawud likes to run, read, watch movies, write, listen to music, and bake. As a writer for TMP, Dawud is hoping to improve his writing skills and share his knowledge while learning more about the sports he competes in.

  • A close-up of a young person with curly dark hair and a tan complexion, wearing AirPods, looking directly at the camera.

    Tejas Nandi

    Staff Editor

    Tejas is currently a Sophomore at Arcadia High School participating in many extracurriculars around the school including Track and Field and Indian Club. During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, hanging out with his friends, and spending time with his family. Tejas has sparked an interest in the medical field through family, whom are mainly doctors, and through personal sports injuries.

  • Young woman with dark hair, wearing a white lab coat with a Thermo Fisher Scientific patch, standing indoors in a science or laboratory setting.

    Elaine Pang

    Staff Writer

    Hi! I’m Elaine Pang. I’m a sophomore at University High School in Irvine. I’ve always loved reading and writing as well as helping others communicate their ideas. I’m also motivated to learn new things. I’m looking forward towards working with TMP because it can help develop my writing skills and teamwork experience, but also to learn and research a variety of medical-related topics.

  • Young man taking a selfie, wearing headphones with bunny ears and a black hoodie, in a room with shelves and a railing.

    Eric Qiu

    Staff Writer

    Eric is a sophomore at Arcadia High School who runs on the Cross Country and Track teams. Besides running, he also spends a lot of time in the theater learning lighting design. He is always hungry for food and knowledge. His goal as a writer for TMP is to help others train safely and also expand his own knowledge in the process.

  • Young man with dark hair wearing a green sweater in a classroom with other students.

    Ronit Rao

    Staff Writer

    Hi, I'm Ronit! I’m a dedicated athlete in Arcadia's cross-country and soccer teams, always striving to push my limits. Beyond sports, I enjoy coding and exploring tech projects. I’m also part of a healthy eating club, where I help promote better lifestyle choices. Writing is another passion of mine, and I’m excited to contribute to this new program as a writer. I love learning, creating, and staying active in everything I do.

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    Tatiana Sarkis

    Staff Writer

    Hi, I’m Tatiana and I’m currently a junior on the varsity track team for Arcadia High School. Some of my many hobbies include reading, baking, crocheting, listening to music, and going on spontaneous coffee runs. I aspire to work in the medical field as a I look up to my fellow peers. I look forward to being a writer for The Mending Playbook and to work on all of our future projects!

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    Kaarthiga Selvakkumaran

    Staff Writer

    Kaarthiga is a student at Arcadia High school(class of 2026). As a varsity girls' tennis player with a strong interest in health sciences, she is passionate about athlete health and performance. She enjoys working out, going on walks with her dog, hiking with friends, and cooking! With a passion for community education, she aims to share valuable insights on injury prevention, performance, and overall well-being to help others stay active and healthy.

  • A young man taking a selfie outdoors on a grassy area, winking with his left eye and giving a thumbs up behind his back, with a pink wristband on his left wrist.

    Bradley Sukwanto

    Staff Writer

    Hey there! I'm Brad and currently a junior participating in Arcadia's Cross Country and Track and Field Team. During my free time I like to watch YouTube, try out new activities, and go out with my friends. As a student-athlete, I've had my fair share of balancing sports and academics through many obstacles, so I'm hoping to shed light on such topics through these articles!

  • Young man in a black suit, white shirt, and teal tie standing outdoors on stone pavement, with greenery and trees in the background.

    Connor Tolzman

    Staff Writer

    Connor Tolzman is a senior at Arlington High School, Washington. He’s a varsity athlete for cross country and track, as well as the president of the school’s medical team. He’s shadowed under multiple physical therapists and has a goal of attending college to become a physical therapist (after graduating as valedictorian, of course).

  • A young woman with long black hair wearing a white t-shirt and beige shorts posing outdoors during sunset with trees and a busy park in the background.

    Tia Tran

    Staff Editor

    Tia Tran is a current senior at Arcadia High School and enjoys reading, volunteering, and playing with her cat in her free time. As an editor, she hopes to continue developing both her own and others' knowledge of the medical field and can’t wait to work with the Mending Playbook!

  • A young woman with long dark hair smiling outside in sunlight, standing near a hedge with a brick wall and a downspout in the background.

    Naina Tripathi

    Staff Writer

    Naina is a current student at Charter Oak High School. She is an active member of the school's Sports Medicine Program and has competed at the AACI Regionals. Naina is deeply passionate about sports medicine and has a keen interest in the body's healing processes. She aspires to pursue a career in sports medicine in the future.

  • A young person with long dark hair, wearing a white shirt and earbuds, taking a selfie indoors with a ceiling fan and window in the background.

    Anna Wang

    Staff Writer

    Anna is a junior from Baton Rouge Magnet High School. She enjoys competing in competitions, noodles, and a nice book. Anna hopes to keep improving her knowledge in medicine.

  • A young man with dark hair making a peace sign with his right hand, smiling slightly, standing outside a building with glass windows and a sign with Chinese characters in the background.

    Daniel Wang

    Staff Editor

    Daniel Wang is a junior at Arcadia High School, currently interested in a diverse assortment of topics, ranging from the biomedical field to US history and composition writing. As an editor, Daniel aims to continually expand both his and his readership’s knowledge on the medical field! He looks forward to working with the Mending Playbook.

  • A young woman taking a selfie inside a car on a sunny day, with greenery visible outside the window.

    Emma Wang

    Staff Writer

    Emma Wang is a student at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, currently interested medicine and helping other students. She participates in multiple sports, such as badminton and volleyball. In her free time, she likes to read, hang out with friends, watch movies, and explore different foods. Emma also works as a teacher to help tutor students in school and enjoys volunteering and working on various projects.

  • A young woman with long black hair smiling, wearing a red and white floral patterned sweater, dark wide-leg jeans, and white sneakers, standing outdoors with one hand on her head and the other resting on a metal railing.

    Sophia Wei

    Staff Writer

    Sophia is currently a freshman attending Arcadia High School, and participates in Arcadia High's cross country and track teams. In these upcoming years, Sophia hopes to discover more of her interests and passions through pursuits like writing for The Mending Playbook. Outside of school, she likes to hike and make random crafts projects.

  • Young man with dark hair wearing a black polo shirt and gray pants standing outdoors in front of white buildings with red tile roofs and black accents.

    Kai Wetterau

    Staff Editor

    Kai is a current junior who is involved with a variety of subject fields at Arcadia High School, with interests in history, political science, and international relations. He loves to play pickup basketball in his spare time and is an avid Dodgers fan, meaning he's picked up a considerable amount of athletic knowledge. Kai strives to make change in the world and is excited to create it in all fields.

  • Close-up of a young man with dark hair, wearing a patterned shirt, standing indoors in front of a wall with a height measurement chart.

    Lucas Xue

    Staff Writer

    Hey guys, my name is Lucas, one of your writers since June 2024. I'm currently an upcoming junior and this will be my second year in varsity cross-country and track. Sports medicine connects to me in a way as I try to keep myself injury-free to help our team score and improve performance. I've also had younger runners ask me for advice before, and I'd be happy to share that as well.

Get in touch.

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