Meet the Board!

Co-President

Alicia Zhang

SHOP has been an invaluable part of my time at Penn, continually shaping my perspectives on community involvement and strengthening my passion for this work. Since joining, I have appreciated a core value of SHOP: while we strive to support our guests and empower them to take agency over their health, we also have an important opportunity to learn from our guests and collaborators. Through conversations with guests throughout our community, I have gained new perspectives on Philadelphia and the realities of health disparities, while also learning profound lessons about resilience, dignity, and trust. I am grateful to collaborate with amazing peers as we work toward SHOP’s continued growth, guided by our guests’ insights and experiences.

Co-President

Anisa Sharma

"I’m extremely grateful to have joined SHOP my first semester at Penn and can’t imagine my college experience without it. My first shift, I had no idea of the tremendous amount of learning and growth ahead of me. Every SHOP shift brings both laughs and an opportunity to broaden my perspective, through sharing updates from our weekends, learning about an individual’s recent experience in the ER, or playing the piano with kids as we build lasting relationships with our guests. I am continuously inspired by my peers in the SHOP community, who have modeled value-driven leadership and a strong commitment to empowering the broader Philly community, and I hope to continue in their footsteps!"

Clinic Chair

Alex Boyko

"SHOP has been one of the most meaningful parts of my time at Penn. Each shift has shown me that good care begins with listening, consistency, and treating every guest with dignity. I’ve especially valued the relationships I’ve built with guests, fellow volunteers, and our community partners, all of whom have shaped my understanding of service and health equity."

Co-Director of Training

Anvi Sinha

"SHOP has by far been one of the most meaningful parts of my college experience - being able to serve in West Philadelphia while building relationships with guests and fellow volunteers has been invaluable. Every single shift has taught me something new about humility, trust, and patient care.  I’m so grateful for the community I’ve found here and excited to continue building it!"

Finance Chair

Arjun Kumar

"I have been in SHOP since my Freshman year, and SHOP is meaningful to me because of the relationships I’ve built at community sites around Philadelphia and the different places in the city I’ve gotten to explore through volunteering. The club has also helped me build some of my most valued friendships in college. Outside of SHOP, I enjoy reading and going to the gym."

Engagement Chair

David Liu

"One of the things I value most about SHOP is the chance to step outside the Penn bubble and build real relationships with members of the broader Philadelphia community. Returning to the same site each week has made me appreciate how much consistency and familiarity matter, and how meaningful it can be simply to show up, talk, and get to know people over time. Some of the best conversations I have had through SHOP have been completely unexpected (at one point, I even walked away with a recipe for lamb steak). To me, moments like that say a lot. I think those conversations only come from trust, and trust only comes from showing up long enough for real relationships to form."

Co-Director of Training

Alessandra Azure

"I've been volunteering with SHOP since my first year on campus and enjoy engaging with community members throughout Philadelphia."

Development Chair

Pranav Sompalle

"SHOP has been integral to my time here. Beyond giving me foundational experiences that have defined my interest in medicine, what I cherish most about SHOP is that it is a continuous learning opportunity: I learn from every interaction with our guests, our partners, and our site staff because they teach me what it means to truly care for a community, beyond the conditions and circumstances that we sought to address when we joined this club. Only in SHOP have I had that experience."

On-Site Chair

Mihiar Wannous

"SHOP has been my number one community at Penn since the summer after my freshman year. One of my favorite memories is celebrating my birthday on shift with my shift leader and some of our guests. We shared a cupcake together, and my shift went out for froyo afterward. Small moments like that capture what has made SHOP so meaningful to me. More than anything, SHOP has pushed me outside the Penn bubble and helped me feel connected to the broader Philadelphia community. Through the relationships I’ve built with guests, volunteers, and site staff, I’ve learned what it means to consistently show up for a community and truly feel like a part of the city I call home."

Operations Chair

Maggie Zeng

"What stands out to me about SHOP is the fact that there is no defined ceiling to what volunteers can do. Keeping an open mind and open ears about the needs of guests, volunteers are constantly pushing for innovative ways to improve SHOP’s impact, whether through developing strategies to improve various health screenings or driving new partnerships with shelter sites. As Penn students, we often exist solely in the bubble that surrounds campus, making it easy to be complacent with the issues pervasive to the greater Philadelphia community. SHOP is positioned uniquely for volunteers to be engaged in a meaningful, mutually-beneficial way, engaging us to move beyond passive awareness and become active advocates for health equity. SHOP means so much to me, and I am lucky to be able to be part of such a genuinely compassionate community."