Current Stay-At-Home-Parent. Former volunteer leader for International Justice Mission, World Relief, Venture Expeditions, and Blood: Water. Former employee of World Relief Seattle in Refugee Resettlement. Diagnosed with Stage IIB TNBC one week before her 35th Birthday. Erin started advocating for AYA cancer through writing for Elephants and Tea Magazine and Wildfire Magazine, as well as joining Tigerlily Foundation and GRASP in advocating for young people, and People of Color who are disproportionately affected by negative outcomes in breast cancer. She is passionate about equality and racial justice in all areas of our existence as humans. Currently, she’s writing a book that can serve as a guide, or “a friend in book form” for people diagnosed with breast cancer under age 45. Most recently, she’s gotten into live storytelling and wants to try stand-up comedy.

Erin brings the: people and organizations together as the “connector” of the group.

Nicole works in medical malpractice defense in San Diego, representing some of the foremost healthcare institutions and individual healthcare providers in Southern California. At the age of 34, she became more intimately entwined with the medical community when she discovered a lump during a routine self breast exam - a technique her mother taught her during high school. Thanks to Nicole's proactive healthcare team, she was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer within weeks, and completed 16 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy. She entered remission in April 2020. Inspired by her own experience and stories from the Breast Cancer Portrait Project, she joins The Young Breast Cancer Project with great hopes of reducing delayed diagnoses in the young and adolescent population.

Nikki brings the: non-profit tenure, legal prowess, and (if we’re lucky) reiki healing to the table.

Mel works as a Financial Investigator for a government agency. She has over 13 years of experience as an investigator and has also worked as a Sr. Director of Professional Services for a software company. Mel is originally from California and relocated to the Midwest a year ago. She has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Forensic Psychology. She has four dogs that she loves to spend her free time with. Mel was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32 with no family history. She has volunteered at conferences such as Women's Symposium for Tribal Gaming where she has shared her story. Mel is passionate about self-advocacy and giving back to the cancer community.

Mel brings the: investigative mindset, inquisitive personality, and over-abundant knowledge of true crime.

Aleah is a young breast cancer survivor and advocate. Just a few years after her mother had a difficult time getting diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Aleah knew she needed to take the lump she discovered in her own breast seriously. At age 31, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 ER+ HER2+ breast cancer, with no genetic mutations despite her mother’s history. Since then, Aleah has dedicated herself to championing young breast cancer causes, which led her to the Young Breast Cancer Project. Aleah has experience with non-profits and currently works as a web content writer and editor. She grew up in the Napa Valley but has called the greater San Diego area home for the past two decades, where she enjoys cooking and hiking with her husband.

Aleah brings the: content wrangling, persistent outreach, can-do attitude, and impossibly loud laugh to the table.

Christi is a writer, yoga teacher, and advocate of higher education. With a passion for the cause and a gift for organization, she hopes to help propel the YBCP into its next phase of life. The Young Breast Cancer Project vision is unique and driven by love, bringing a much-needed voice to the table, sharing the experiences of the folks who have been willing to participate.

Christi brings the: wordsmithing, honest feedback, and tidiness to the table.

Brooklyn works as a clinical pharmacist in Houston, TX providing chronic disease care for uninsured patients. Having been immersed in the healthcare setting and understanding the importance of breast health and education, she began annual surveillance screening through breast MRIs after being diagnosed with a BRCA2 genetic mutation at age 25. Three years later in 2020, Brooklyn did not have any symptoms but her annual MRI was positive for breast cancer. Brooklyn completed chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, and radiation before entering remission in November 2020. Brooklyn's story and experiences led her to find purpose in breast cancer advocacy, especially for those diagnosed young, which led her to The Young Breast Cancer Project. She plans to continue pushing the narrative for early breast cancer detection through genetic testing and screening while improving breast health education in our communities.

Brooklyn brings the: medical background mindset, engaging and relatable video content, and the ability to create master flow charts

Peyton is a former medical social worker turned full-time toddler wrangler and sometimes writer (but only when naptime works in her favor). She currently resides in San Diego with her active duty military husband and their two young children. Peyton has lived with Type 1 Diabetes since the age of 13 and was diagnosed with extensive DCIS and stage 1 HER2+ breast cancer at age 29 while weaning her then 10-month-old. After having to fight for further follow-up upon finding a large mass in her left breast, Peyton has become fiercely passionate about breast health education and awareness, leading her to join the Young Breast Cancer Project’s cause. When she’s not advocating for the chronic illness community, you’ll most often be able to find Peyton at the beach, in the pool, or out in her garden caked in mud and with a kid on her hip.

Peyton brings the: social work background, random plant knowledge, and backpack full of snacks to the table

At 34, with no family history of disease, Missy faced a delayed diagnosis of 11 months while pregnant. Her PCP, OBGYN + Radiologist did not express concerns about her breast health. Four days before giving birth, she was diagnosed with Stage II, IDC and soon learned that she is BRCA1+.

While in treatment, she started photographing other young women to raise awareness, “Young Women Get Breast Cancer Too”. Through this work, titled the Breast Cancer Portrait Project, Missy has captured 100 diagnosis stories of AYA breast cancer. Her efforts have evolved into community-based research to quantify why women are slipping through the cracks, as she did. Missy passionately believes that all people deserve greater access to breast health education, especially young women. She is eager to share her findings with the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women (ACBCYW), a 15-member committee that she is proud to sit on.

Missy brings the: impactful photography to the table.