Allilsa Fernandez
Disability & Mental Health Activist
“Mentoring means showing up exactly as I am, authentically, and sharing knowledge, information and resources so that others who look like me know that it’s possible to be whatever they want to be. That we can define our limitations and expectations in life and not others. It’s showing the way that anything is possible while remaining true to ourselves, including just being and just existing. That no matter what, we belong!”
We are proud to induct Allilsa Fernandez into the Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame.
Allilsa Fernandez graduated magna cum laude from Stony Brook University with a B.A. in psychology, despite being told they would never be able to attend school because of their struggles with psychosis. Allilsa is mental health and disability activist. They currently a volunteer member with Sylvia Rivera Law Project working in Shelter Organizing and a Tenant Activist with Met Council. She founded Peer Mental Health Alliance, an organization that provides resources, peer-to-peer support and creative arts programming, which aims to end the stigma. Through her activism, Allilsa fought for and assured ADA compliance at Stony Brook. He has also provided consultation to companies such as Facebook and Lionsgate, and currently is a board member of the National Council on Independent Living, DREAM and ISPS-US.