Meet the Staff
Bears that CARE is a program of the Office of the Dean of Students in the Division of Student Affairs. In addition to working closely with partners across campus, BTC has a dedicated team of peer educators. Get to know more about the staff by reading their bios below.

Student Staff Coordinator: Sydney Abelson (she/her)
Sydney is a 4th year Microbial Biology major
She wanted to join BTC because she wanted to make a difference on campus and help promote a community of care here at Berkeley. She believes in active bystander intervention and wants to share more about this topic as well as how to apply it to consent, alcohol intervention, mental health, and more. The more we share and talk about bystander intervention the easier it is to apply to our daily lives and make us all safer.
Outside BTC, she is also a Research Assistant in the Koskella Lab, Co-President of TASSEL at Berkeley, and a volunteer for the Golden Gate Science Olympiad Invitational. Sydney’s hobbies include horseback riding, listening to music, going to the movies, and getting boba!

Communications Coordinator: Cynna McAllister (she/her)
Cynna is a 4th year Molecular Cellular Biology Neurobiology and Psychology major
She loves BTC because it allows her to have an active role in educating and supporting the Cal community. One of her goals is to make campus a safe and comfortable place for all students!
Outside of BTC, she is also involved in Sigma Kappa, Kappa Gamma Delta, the Wilbrecht lab, and previously: AMWA, BHI, TASSEL. Cynna’s hobbies include crafting, exploring the city, shopping, and spending time with friends and family!

Communications Coordinator: Melissa Cabana (she/her)
Melissa is a 3rd year Public Health major
She wanted to join BTC because she believes that violence prevention and prevention education is an important part of public health, especially to the UC Berkeley campus, so she wanted to be more involved in that role!
Outside of BTC, she is also the Minorities in Health Coordinator for the Pilipino Association for Health Careers (PAHC) and is an intern at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center. Melissa’s hobbies include traveling, hiking, music, running, and writing!

Outreach Coordinator: Alina Huang (she/her)
Alina is a 2nd year undergraduate student studying Public Health
She wanted to join BTC because she really liked the message BTC stands for and she wanted to be a part of the solution. She wanted to continue her advocacy work at BTC because she believes that educating others and herself about violence prevention is essential to creating a safer community.
Outside of BTC, she is also involved in the Field Study Internship and is a Medical Scribe. Alina’s hobbies include baking, hiking, and thrifting!

Outreach Coordinator: Mariana Mier (she/her)
Mariana is a 2nd year Psychology major
She wanted to join BTC because she feels like she is creating a positive change on campus. Educating others on how to be an active bystander so that we can prevent violence is something that Mariana is really passionate about, and BTC allows her to do that.

Workshop Coordinator: Rebecca Quinonez (she/her)
Rebecca is a 4th year student, majoring in Political Science
She joined BTC because a crucial way to mitigate violence is through the spread of violence prevention education. She believes that everyone has an important and much needed part to play in making our communities safer and she loves that BTC offers an avenue for students to do just that.
Outside of BTC, she is also a mentor with the Sage Mentorship Project! Go Sage! Rebecca’s hobbies include drawing, beading, nature walks, and poetry.