Events & News

Oliver Foundation Events & News

Houston, Texas, March 8, 2024

Welcome to our new Teen Advisory Board Members for the 2024–2025 year.
Summer Galinsky, Reid Wright, Aditi Vadassery, Niketa Pati, and Raina Sheth.

Houston, Texas March 3, 2024

The Oliver Foundation Teen Advisory Board was honored to have Briana Buzali Grosvenor (pictured center in the above photo) as a guest speaker at its March 3, 2024, meeting. Briana is a Past President and Charter Member of the Oliver Foundation Teen Advisory Board, which originated in 2004. She helped draft the concepts and formulation ideas for the Teen Advisory Board, as well as the by-laws and logo YEAH.

Briana spoke to the teens about the prestige of being a member of the Teen Advisory Board. She stressed how her experience on the Teen Advisory Board influenced her education and career. She learned professional skills, including setting an agenda, taking minutes, running a meeting by Roberts Rules of Order, public speaking, and community service. Bri currently lives in Houston with her husband and children and enjoys cooking and raising her children in a healthy lifestyle.

Houston, Texas December 3, 2023

Oliver Foundation Teen Advisory Board held their annual Holiday Party at
Union Kitchen on December 3, 2023.  A fun time was had by all.

Houston, Texas November 5, 2023

Torrence White, Supervisory Special Agent Crimes Against Children & Human Trafficking Federal Bureau of Investigation – Houston, was the guest speaker at the Oliver Foundation Teen Advisory Board meeting on November 5, 2023.

Special Agent White shared his career path from lettering in football at Clemson University, working with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, SC, 2002 – 2008, and entering the FBI in 2008. Special Agent White has served on the Memphis Cargo Theft Task Force, Attorney General’s Protection Detail, FBI Protective Operations, and Supervisor of Violent Crime Task Force. In 2017, Torrence White was selected as the Unit Chief of the Critical Incident and Operations Unit, which oversaw FBIHQ’s response to terrorist threat attacks, critical incidents, and special events. Torrence White arrived at the FBI Houston in 2019, where he served as the Supervisory Special Agent over the Violent Crime Task Force and Human Intelligence Collection Squad. Torrence White took over the Supervisory Special Agent duties for the Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force in November 2022.

Houston, Texas, May 7, 2023

Teen Advisory Board Senior Awards Luncheon at Lakeside Country Club, May 7, 2023. Congratulations to our 2022–2023 Teen Advisory Board Graduating Seniors. We wish them the best as they begin a new adventure.

Mia Price – Georgetown University, School of Health
Katherine – Zhang Duke University, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Lauryn Tu – Northwestern University, Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences
Nick Bhasin – Yale University
Alexander Farahbod – Fordham University.
Kayla Kitana – Howard University, School of Psychology

Houston, Texas, April 2023

Welcome to our new Teen Advisory Board Members 2023-2024
Jack Brown, Natalie Do, Ayla Patel, Benjamin Farahbod

Houston, Texas February 5, 2023

Mariaan de Swardt – “Success and Failure”
Teen Advisory Board Meeting Guest Speaker
Mariann is a former professional tennis player from South Africa, who played from 1988–2001. Some of her accomplishments include participating in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. She won two Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles in both the Australian Open and the French Open. Since retiring from tennis, Mariaan has coached professionally and has been a commentator for Eurosport, USA Network, and South African television.

Her accomplishments include participating in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. She won two Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles in the Australian Open and the French Open. Since retiring from tennis, Mariaan has coached professionally and has been a commentator for Eurosport, USA Network, and South African television.

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