OTSC Fall 2016 Elections

                     

Co-Chair – Brynne Terry 

Hi everyone! I’m Brynne Terry and I’m so excited to begin this journey of becoming an Occupational Therapist with all of you! After graduating from USC in 2015, I started a career in marketing, but knew immediately it was not the right fit for me. I loved the creative aspect of my job, but found that working in a hypercompetitive business setting was not in line with my personality. I felt out of place and unsatisfied because I didn’t feel like I was making a meaningful impact on others’ lives. At the time, I didn’t know much about OT. It wasn’t until I frantically went back to my undergraduate advisor that I was introduced to it. Knowing my background as a Human Performance major and my experience helping new students during summer orientation, she suggested I look into OT. I talked to students and professionals about OT and witnessed firsthand how it helped my grandfather recover from hip surgery. The more I learned, the more passionate I became for OT and its focus on helping others achieve their potential.

My goal for my time here at USC is to become as involved and immersed in OT as possible, and one way I hope to do this is as Co-Chair of OTSC. If elected, I will utilize my leadership abilities and skills involved in the management of many concurrent projects and inter-team communications to help make these next two years enriching, engaging, and fun for all!  Thank you!

Co-Chair – Claudia Melgar

Hi, my name is Claudia, and I completed my undergraduate degree in animal sciences at Cal Poly SLO. So, naturally, I’m really good at interacting with humans! I have an older sister and younger brother making me the middle child of my family. As a middle child I have learned to be flexible, a team-builder, and am totally down to eat the orange and purple popsicles since I never got first choice as a kid.

While at Cal Poly, I was an University Ambassador (Poly Reps) and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Having been one of thirty-three members in Poly Reps I am comfortable working with people with varying leadership styles. During my four years, I served a diverse range of committees in both organizations and I understand the many responsibilities inherent in OTSC. I have worked with national representatives, served on publicity and marketing committees, planned school-wide events, assisted with fundraising and finances, planned philanthropy events, contacted different industries for professional development, and created slideshows for end of the year banquets. Due to my breadth of knowledge I am excited about the opportunity to serve as Co-Chair.

Co-Chair – Sarah Dyer

Hello! I’m Sarah Dyer and I am very excited for the opportunity to run for OTSC Co-Chair. I have had a passion for occupational therapy and leadership since I was six years old and am thrilled to be at USC to continue my journey. USC has already provided a fun, supportive, and engaging home for me. I loved breakdancing during the Decades Party, going on the field trip to the Gamble House, listening to the OTD presentations, and getting to know my classmates. I hope to support similar future activities through the co-chair position so our graduate experience will be unforgettable.

As an undergraduate student, I founded and was the president of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Club at UC Davis. In this role, I organized and led club meetings, planned field trips to OT schools, supported other officers’ roles, and ran officer elections. Similar to the belief of being an effective, client-centered OT, I believe a good leader will help officers and students achieve what they wish to accomplish. I plan to use my experience to ensure a successful student council. If elected, I will be a strong support for the other officers - assisting in organizing fun activities, building professional connections for our division, and leading productive meetings. I hope to do this by providing resources and knowledge that I have about student council, making connections to professors, OT’s and administrators, and using my problem-solving skills to turn our goals into a reality.  Thank you for this opportunity! Fight On!

Co-Chair – Allyson Wong

Hi, I'm Allyson  Wong, and your candidate for OTSC Co-Chair! I see OTSC as the frontline for the Occupational Therapy program at USC, responsible for helping to guide the experiences of fellow OTettes and brOTs.  I myself have experienced first hand what a critical role student council officers can play in building a sense of community in a program.  As the Vice Present of the Masters of Public Health Student Association, it was my duty to reach out and create opportunities for the community to learn, thrive, and succeed at USC and beyond.  This is the role I hope to play for our program: a friendly, familiar face working to further strengthen our OT community through opportunities that empower us and bring us together! Fight On!

Co-Chair – Brianne Tabios 

It would be an honor to serve as our class's OTSC Co-Chair.  In addition to enjoying my time as an OT student, I love getting involved in community service, planning events, and being a part of a leadership group.  I have experience in event coordination, meeting management, and teamwork.  As the General Manager of the Trojan Marching Band, I spend countless hours supporting a program that touches so many organizations around USC, so it's safe to say that my spirit and love for this school are unparalleled.

If I am elected as Co-Chair, I would love to work with my fellow OTSC officers to plan events for professional development, as well as more fun social events for our students.  One thing that stands out as extremely important to me is creating a bond with other members of our class.  We've been told over and over again that OT is a very small world, and building relationships with the people within the realm of occupational therapy is essential.   I believe that this is a great opportunity to get involved and to really make a difference for our class.  I know that the position requires a lot of work, but I love this profession more than anything, and I want to do everything I can to support the people in it.

        
Fundraising Chair – Niki Peterson 

Hi, my name is Niki Peterson. I am from the Bay Area, but have lived in LA the past couple of years as I also went to USC for undergrad. I am really excited about these next 2 years of OT school and becoming an OT! I would love to get as involved as possible during my time here and thought OTSC would be an amazing way to do that. I want to run for Fundraising Chair because I have experience in fundraising and think I could really contribute to OTSC. I was an intern for the communications and fundraising department of a health care clinic, La Clínica de la Raza, in Oakland the previous two summers. I helped come up with new ideas to raise money, put on fundraising events, and promote the fundraisers, all of which would be really applicable to the fundraising chair position on OTSC. Furthermore, I was the VP of Finance for my sorority at USC so I have had a lot of practice managing money for a bigger organization and the leadership role that goes along with that. I would be excited to come up with creative ways to raise money that everyone will enjoy as well as work with the rest of OTSC to put the money that is raised towards opportunities and events that will make these next two years a blast!

Fundraising Chair – Marissa Crouse 

Hi y’all! My name is Marissa Crouse and I would love to be your fundraising chair for OTSC.  As fundraising chair, I would work hard to make sure there is some snazzy USC OT gear available for you to purchase.  I have exciting ideas for fundraising events to help raise money.  I would work alongside the social chair to plan events like a karaoke night and outdoor movie night to raise money for our program.  And who doesn’t love a good bake sale?  Not to mention fun raffle prizes! I plan to have more fundraisers to increase the budget for various events.  In the past I served as Spirit Chair for my sorority. I was in charge of raising money as well as designing and selling merchandise showing school spirit.  My goal as fundraising chair for OTSC is to ensure that the student body is well equipped with USC OT gear and has plenty of exciting fundraising events to participate in!

Fundraising Chair – Eddie Chu

Looking back on the many years before my path towards occupational therapy,  I have never been fully satisfied, or even engaged, with my career in psychology and the choices I made along the way for it.  I loved working with the pediatric and mental health population, but I was never able to commit myself to being more involved during my education in it, even at the Master's level.  When I was given the opportunity to attend one of the top occupational therapy programs in the country and work as a research assistant, I knew that I had found my path towards fulfillment.  I was finally passionate about what I was learning, and I am able to apply this knowledge further through research and fieldwork.  

However, because (honestly) my desire to be involved with the school community clashes with the number of hours I can commit each day due to the OT program, research, fieldwork, and my side job as a college applicant counselor,  I explored the initial meeting with the 2nd year council, finding the perfect compromise in the fundraising chair.  Being involved but not necessarily needing to be there physically all the time,  this position would fill the gap between my desire to be a part of the student council and my restraint with time.  Many thanks to Carolin for the position description.

Secretary– Meghan Neureither 

Hi there! My name is Meghan Neureither and I am a proud USC Occupational Therapy Student.  I have been passionate about Occupational Therapy for the better part of my life, as I was lucky to attend an annual inclusionary summer camp for children with disabilities as a neurotypical camper throughout my childhood.  It was there that I fell in love with the profession and was set on this great path. 

I am born and raised in Southern California, so it feels fitting to be here at THE University of Southern California! My hobbies include reading, riding my bike, hitting the beach and teaching my little cousins to speak German.

I am running for the position of Secretary because I feel my work background has highly prepared me for the position.  I am a meticulous notetaker, powerhouse organizer and passionate about our program and Occupational Therapy! I have vast experience with writing meeting minutes, documentation of meetings and secretary duties in my previous job as an Education and Outreach leader at UC Santa Cruz.  I know that my enthusiasm, effective communication skills and organization would serve me well as your future OTSC Secretary! 

Secretary– Alison Ulie 

            With a background in English and online marketing, I hold many of the qualities necessary to succeed as secretary of the OTSC. I received undergraduate degrees in Creative Writing and film studies, which helped me to develop a strong ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. During writing workshops and seminars on campus, I collaborated with my peers, sharing strengths and possible areas of improvement within our writings. Such communication is key to a position which requires clear and accurate representation of meetings.  

            The secretary is also responsible for uploading minutes to the OTSC blog. As senior content developer at an online marketing company in Seattle, WA, I planned, developed, and maintained online content for customers and managed social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. In addition, I was social media chair at my former school’s chapter of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. As such, I posted weekly reminders and updates on our school’s website and advertised all event and team fundraisers.

            Given my academic background, experience in online media, and ability to communicate clearly and effectively, I am confident that as secretary of the OTSC, I will provide the skills necessary to keep our OT community informed.  

Secretary– Meghan Lew

Hello, my name is Meghan Lew and I would like to be the next secretary for OTSC. I love getting involved and meeting new people, whether it is socializing at an event or joining an intramural soccer team! I have attempted to meet most of the OT Class of 2018, but if we have not met yet—or even if we have and you just forgot my name—you are always more than welcome to come chat with me.

I have been the secretary for a leadership class in the past, and I believe that I am capable of being a great secretary for the class of 2018. Obviously, being a secretary is not my whole-hearted passion, as I very much want to become a reputable Occupational Therapist, but my organizational skills and note-taking skills are very suitable for the secretarial duties in OTSC. I have always liked to write down important notes because (let’s face it) if I don’t, I will forget the idea and it will be lost to the abyss. Therefore, I have learned to record notes in an organized and timely fashion that is easy for everyone to comprehend. If you need proof, I am the person who took notes during the Jeopardy reviews in neuroscience and posted them to Facebook! If you did not find those useful, then you can discredit everything I just said and vote for someone else. But if you did, please consider voting for me as your next OTSC secretary. Thank you!

Historian – Kiana Kyohara

Hey all! My name is Kiana Kiyohara and I am a 1st year MA OT student hoping to pursue a career in pediatrics. I was born and raised in LA and am half Japanese and half Danish (no not the pastry, the country, Denmark). I have a strong background in and appreciation for the arts (photography, painting, DIY crafts, etc.), and would love an opportunity to express my artistic ability, creativity, and sense of humor through the position of Historian for OTSC.

So why me? First of all, I am a compulsive photographer. If we go out on a day trip I will literally come back with hundreds of photos. If I don’t have a camera in hand, I almost always have my phone out capturing snapshots of the people and places around me. I am also familiar with using/editing digital media; no one wants an album of blurry shots so let me do the work for you – and besides, we all want to look good (thank you Instagram filters and Photoshop). Finally, I want to give back to a community that has already given me so much. I can’t wait to see what the coming years have in store for all of us Trojans and would be honored to help document part of that process. Fight On!

- “Uh, can you do that again? I think you blinked.”
- “Okay guys, pretend like you like each other and look like you’re having fun!”
- “WAIT! Don’t eat, let me get a picture first!”

Historian – Jin Kim 

Hi everyone! My name is Jin Kim and I am running for the OTSC Historian position.  I have my Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz and am confident that my past experiences will help me with this role.  Before starting graduate school, I helped manage all social media platforms for Crave Expo, an event production company that specializes in food tasting (same creators of the Eat Show!) I am really excited for the next two years and I hope to capture all of the great memories for our class of 2018!

Social Chair – Trisha Wong

You know that one person in your group that's always planning your vacations and get-togethers?  Fun fact: I'm that person! I believe I can be a great social planning chair.  Planning events is my pride and joy.  When planning events, I am genuinely excited! I love doing all the research, phone calls, and emails just to make our dream events come true.  I thrive off of other's input and use those opinions to plan and mold events catered to everyone.  All suggestions big or small are always welcomed.  Your opinions not only matter, but are essential to having a fun, successful event.  I also have previous experience in planning big events.   While pledging for my undergraduate co-ed fraternity, I took the position of installation banquet chair.  This put me in charge of planning the end of year banquet for my pledge class, active fraternity members, and alumni.  This involved scoping out several venues, picking out decorations, negotiating with DJ's and food caterers, creating an itinerary for the banquet night and many more responsibilities.  As your social planning chair, I plan on setting up a range of unique events from kayaking to broomballing to bar hopping.  Although being social planning chair can present it's challenges, I am ready to take them on to ensure a great two years of fun and exciting events for my fellow future OTs! 

Social Chair – Melissa Metz

Hey there!! My name is Melissa and I am running for OTSC Social Planning Chair! My goal over these next 2 years is to ensure that everyone gets the most out of their time here at UCS.  Whether it be hiking the beautiful trails around LA, trying a "Dodger Dog" at a Dodgers game, hitting all the best happy hour spots, attending and tailgating every USC football game possible, or taking a weekend get away outside the city,  I want us all to tackle our bucket list of adventures together! I also want to reach out to other graduate programs and include them in our adventures.   Together we can let go of the stress of school and relax at functions such as holiday parties, tailgates, hikes, potluck dinners, and so many more! With only 2 years here, we want to take advantage of all the time that we have together before entering into the real world and going our separate ways as well as work on that school-life balance.   As Wiz Khalifa so eloquently said, "work hard, play hard."  As social chair I would do everything in my power to make sure we look back on these 2 years knowing we accomplished an amazing bucket list of activities, created lasting memories, and enjoyed our time here to the fullest.  Let's make these next two years the best they can be and leave with the long lasting friendships we will form! 

Faculty Liaison – Wesley Chen

Hi! My name is Wesley and I’d love to join OTSC board as your Faculty Liaison/Student Needs & Development. I am from a small community in Southern California called Hacienda Heights which is commonly known for its delicious food. I received my undergraduate degree in Public Health Sciences from UC Irvine. I discovered occupational therapy in college from working at my university’s disability services center and as a camp leader for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Some of my favorite occupations are camping, outdoor sports and enjoying time with good company! I am also an avid crafter courtesy of Dr. Fazio’s Creativity, Crafts and Activity Analysis course.

I am running on a platform of enthusiasm and involvement. I offer years of prior experience serving and representing multiple student organizations through association and executive positions. My priority is for our students to take the reins of their education and college experience into their own hands. This journey of becoming an occupational therapist is truly remarkable. I only wish for each and every one of our students to feel empowered and connected to the Trojan family. I strive to achieve advocacy, consistency, and transparency within our division. I offer an open mind and an honest commitment to represent my fellow classmates and their interest. Thank you!

Faculty Liaison – Jennifer Hong

I am running for the position of Faculty Liaison/Student Needs & Development.  My professional experience includes my career as an 8th grade special education teacher (2012-2015), a family specialist/research assistant with the STRONG Kids 2 Research Project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2015-2016), and as a prospective health professional/pursuant of an OTD.  My roles in communicating needs, outcomes, goals, and representing different perspectives/rational have been a common thread throughout my professional careers.  Pursuing a new path as an occupational therapists marks the advent of applying my assets and skills through a new avenue.  The aspects of being a special educator and case manager I still crave are the times I collaborated in an interdisciplinary team where we struggled through solving problems that helped us move towards a common goal.  Leading individualized education plan (IEP_ meetings and serving as the bridge between the school's expectations, student's goals, and parent/guardian's desires was an incredibly rewarding experience that has prepared me for this role in becoming the bridge between the faculty and students of the Chan Division of Occupational Therapy.   I will do my best in being an effective communicator and a platform for students and faculty voices to be heard in necessary capacities. 

Faculty Liaison – Melody McKay

I am running for the role of Faculty Liason/Student Needs & Development because I understand the importance of communication between students and faculty.    I want to ensure that communication is protected and adequately represents our class.  Our class is made up of a diverse group of individuals with different backgrounds.  I will do my best to ensure that the voice of the Liason is representative of that diversity and is inclusive of the viewpoints of our bachelor's-to-master's students. recent graduates and those beginning a second career.

In my prior work experience I held the role of Employee Advocate, where I acted as a liason between employees and the executive board.  I made sure the opinions, concerns and suggestions of our employees were heard and addressed.   I am comfortable carrying these skills over to our department and feel adequately prepared to take on the responsibilities of this role.  Having an effective liason can make a more productive and enjoyable learning experience for all of us which inevitably better prepares us for our future roles as entry-level OTs. 

International Relations Chair – Phillip D.H. Lee

¡Hola! Ni-hao! Salut! An-young-ha-sayo! Hallo! Ko-nichi-wa! Mar-haban! Shalom! Hujambo! and Hello friends! My path to occupational therapy hasn’t been traditional to say the least. But perhaps it is easier to connect the dots when looking backwards. My undergraduate education in political science (with an emphasis on international relations) and my experiences living abroad has given me a unique perspective through which I see our world.

While abroad I encountered many issues and stigmas related to mental health. As we’ve heard time and time again, there is “no health, without mental health.” As future OT’s, we have an obligation to help those that are struggling with their health. But in order to do so, we must first understand where they are coming from. It would be impossible for me to make a change in South Korea had I never learned of her deep and complex history.

Combined with both perspectives at the macro and now micro levels, I believe I am well suited to be the next International Relations Chair. While actively promoting student awareness of international OT practices, I hope to inspire my peers to consider making innovative changes abroad, and to learn from other successful OT interventions that can be implemented here. I believe it is important that we continue to share our stories worldwide, so that more people become aware of what OT’s do and how we can reinvigorate one’s occupations! 

OTAC Representative – Kaitlyn Cruz 

Hi everyone! My name is Kaitlyn Cruz and I am running for the OTAC representative position in OTSC! Born and raised in Los Angeles, it was always my dream to go to USC for my undergraduate career, but never did I think I’d be getting my Master’s degree here too! Now, I’m proud to say I’m living a new dream by being in this program and pursuing a career that is so fundamental in changing people’s lives for the better (it’s so true when they say LA is the city of dreams)! In the past, I’ve held leadership positions all throughout high school and college, but my experiences traveling to the Philippines to implement dance programs in orphanages were what really cultivated who I am today both professionally and personally. It was in these life-changing moments that I realized the importance of what it means to represent yourself as a person, the people around you, and everything you believe in.

As someone who wholeheartedly believes in USC, OT, and LA, I believe that my passion for everything that envelops USC’s occupational therapy program will transcend into my work as the OTAC representative. All in all, I just wanted to end by saying that I am so excited for the next years ahead of us and am looking forward to all the memories we’ll share together as a Trojan family!

OTAC Representative – Britney Cariño

Hello, my name is Britney Cariño and I would like to run for the OTAC liaison position for the academic years of 2016-2018.  I understand that as a liaison I will maintain a channel of communication between the USC OS and OT faculty and the Occupational Therapy Association of California regarding any needs or concerns that pertain to the university. Furthermore, I acknowledge this role’s ability to effectively advocate for the OS/OT profession through membership events, collaboration with other universities and through OTAC-sponsored events such as the annual OTAC conference.

During the process of learning, an over-looked key component of the process is obtaining or gaining access to information that fuels learning. As a liaison, it would be an honor to communicate or relay any new information or news from the state association to the OT student body. As a dining assistant, I was responsible for five hundred employee schedules and logging university food unit transactions. Flexibility and communication flow between employees and supervisors became an art form! Lastly, I developed more confidence in asking and answering questions through serving as captain of the GU cheer team and presenting research at the American College of Sports Medicine conference. I recognize this position must be accessible and visible to our colleagues in order to promote the OS/OT profession. We must be equipped with the most up to-date information and to do so requires constant inquiry. We do not always have to know the answer or how to do things but I do believe we owe it to ourselves to always ask!

Professional Development Chair – Delaney Hudak 

Hello! My name is Delaney Hudak. I was born and raised in LA, and graduated from USC for undergrad. I could not be more excited to be a part of this program, and to spend the next two years surrounded by talented and unique professionals and students. I personally think that being a part of this program is such a unique opportunity, which motivates me to engage in as many experiences as I can. I want to run for the Professional Development Chair position in OTSC, because I think as students and as faculty we should all be given the opportunity to come together outside of the classroom to informally and formally discuss, promote, and learn about the wonderful field of OT, and also get to know one another as professionals and colleagues. I think one of the best ways to learn about anything or anyone is to be interactive and to ask questions, and one of my greatest attributes is communicating.

 I believe I am best fit for this role, because for the past three years I have worked/volunteered in four different occupational therapy settings and have first-hand been able to help direct, facilitate, and manage faculty meetings, promote fundraising events, and have gained advice and professional knowledge from experts in the profession. I have also worked directly under the dean of the dentistry school at USC for two years as an assistant, and helped his office plan events for faculty and students, which fostered my organizational, communicative, and professional skills, all of which are fitting for this position in OTSC. In sum, I am very enthusiastic about being able to bring people together to encourage the promotion and education of occupational therapy, and am ready to take on this leadership role to plan great events that engage all of us to participate in the profession for the next two years and more! 

Treasurer – Lina Yoo

I got 99 problems but counting ain’t one!

If you’re having money problems, you can count on me son

I got 99 problems but counting ain’t one!

As a former college student and an avid watcher of Extreme Couponing, I have learned the intricate art of spending money wisely! In all seriousness, you can trust me as your treasurer to make sure that every cent goes toward events, merchandise, and socials that you guys want to invest in. I want to be your representative and utilize our class fund in the most cost effective way. In an effort to being transparent and accountable, I hope to collaborate and consult with you on how our spending should be distributed. As a former financial aid advisor, I had the responsibility of maintaining accurate records and verifying that each student was awarded the appropriate financial aid. I am also attentive to detail and make decisions based on a global scale to benefit all. I pride myself on my integrity and I am always open to suggestions. If elected as treasurer, I look forward to serving you guys for the next 2 years with the best of my abilities!

ASD Representative –  Ranier Barrett 

Hello, my name is Ranier, and I am running for the ASD Representative for USC's OTSC.   Coming from a theatre background, I am well-equipped for public speaking and believe I would make a great liaison for USC, as well as a leader for our chapter of AOTA.  My sense of humor acts as a bridge to forge connections between other students, and I am more than capable of making sure USC is heard at AOTA's national conference.  I am here to be voice of the student's concerns as well as tirelessly advocate for our profession at the national level.  In undergrad, I went to school full-time while working two jobs and maintaining my honors status as a student.  Needless to say, I am committed to working hard.  My own personal flair that I want to bring to the ASD position is a greater social media presence for USC at the AOTA conference.  With greater presence comes more security in our national organization.  We are at one of the greatest universities in the country, and have been gifted with the responsibility of bringing great changes and advocacy to the OT world.  My brand of leadership skills will provide not only a fresh perspective, but I am committed to enhancing AOTA membership as well as USC's presence in the organization.

ASD Representative –  Mina Attia

Occupational Therapy lies at the intersection of health and social justice. As aspiring Occupational Therapists, it is our duty to maintain this unique position and I believe that advocacy is our means to do so. This is why I would like to be a part of the Assembly of Student Delegates (ASD) as a representative and a liaison between our student body and AOTA. It is so important as students that we advocate for AOTA, because in turn we are advocating for the populations in which AOTA serves. It is truly my belief that our advocacy and support of AOTA now, can help shape the quality and delivery of care for our clients in the future.

As an ASD representative, I will attend AOTA sponsored events and work with my peers in order to promote and empower our professional association. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity of presenting at two conferences while completing my undergraduate degree. One was at the Annual Autism Conference at La Salle University and one was through a global initiative in which I presented on Apraxia at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand. These conferences were so inspiring to me because of the wealth of knowledge I was able to obtain from fellow presenters that I was then able to relay to my peers. These kinds of exchanges are an integral part of academia as well as professional development and it is my hope that as an ASD representative, I will be able to attend AOTA conferences and events in support of USC OT and in an effort to encourage life-long advocacy.

ASD Representative – Cam-Hong Le  

Greetings! If we haven't met yet, my name is Hong.  Those who know me know that I'm enthusiastic, inclusive, communicative, open to new learning experiences, and always excited to share helpful information to the class.   Before falling in love with OT, I spent four years on the east coast working as a photo editor.  A personal highlight was representing the magazine I worked for by being on the local news and giving advice on how to photograph cherry blossoms.  It was both terrifying and fun.

As ASD representative, my primary responsibility is to share information.  This means not only relaying information from AOTA to you, but also voicing any concerns, suggestions, and ideas you might have to the committee.  I want nothing more than to make sure you are well informed and your voice is heard.   I will do my best to share as much information as I can gather about each AOTA-sponsored event (along with photographs) and connect you with professionals in the OT community.  Dr. Rafeedie, in her very passionate and persuasive speech, encouraged us to all be members of AOTA because it's our work insurance.  It's the professional thing to do.  My goal is to keep you in the loop with all things AOTA-related and make sure you're getting the most out of your membership.  I would love your support and the opportunity to be a student leader for the Class of 2018.  Thank you for taking the time to read this and thank you for voting!

GSG Representative –  Phoebe Yam

Hello! My name is Phoebe Yam and I am extremely excited to run for Graduate Student Government Senator! For those of you who do not know me, I am an absolute animal lover and have the privilege of being an animal handler who brings exotic animals to special events. My dream is to one day incorporate exotic animals into occupational therapy. My other hobbies are hiking, snowboarding, and doing anything outdoors. I also love baking, cooking, and eating of course! As Graduate Student Government Senator, I would love to get to know everyone so that I can represent you all at USC graduate program meetings as well as other GSG student organizations.

I have had previous leadership experience in high school as the vice president for the Arcadia High School Marching Band in 2010. In college I was the historian my 3rd year and executive administrator my 4th year for The National Society of Leadership and Success at UCI (2012-2014). I also held the position of publicity chair for the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association for 2 years at UCI (2012-2014). Lastly, I volunteered at an OT-based martial arts program called Karate For All for 3 years and held the position of volunteer coordinator to serve as a liaison between the volunteers and the director of the program. I hope that my previous experience will help me in representing all of you in the Graduate Student Government. Thank you for voting!! 

GSG Representative –  Katherine Park

I’m sure you have all experienced those mixed feelings when someone doesn’t know what OT is. Frustration? Annoyance? Well, that’s what I’m here for! As the Public Relations Chair for the Pre-Occupational Therapy club at USC, I helped raise awareness of our profession and planned special OT-related events on campus. I understand the importance of being heard, especially as one of the smaller programs on campus, and have worked closely with our division’s faculty and students in order to represent OT in the undergraduate arena. Additionally, having been involved in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) at USC has allowed me to learn how to serve both the interests of the team that I am part of as well as the community as a whole. As the bridge between our students and other graduate programs, I vow to represent and make decisions based on our own values and interests.

I am committed and willing to collaborate with peers to ensure the best experience for our students. Your voice matters, and I promise to listen and speak on behalf of our division. As your Graduate Student Government Senator, I will strive to continue to make improvements in our relations with other disciplines and create meaningful relationships for every student in the OT program.

GSG Representative –  Raquel Heyman

Hello friends, classmates, and future OTs! I am seeking your vote for the position of Graduate Student Government Senator, a position that serves as liaison between OTSC and the Graduate Student Government.  As GSG Senator,  I will represent OTSC and our student population with the high level of professionalism, friendliness, and positivity that I see from all of you on a daily basis.  I will advocate for the interests, needs, and concerns of our unique and diverse student population.  To be truly representative of our student body,  I will make myself available to hear individual concerns, thoughts, and opinions.  I will strive to ensure our programming fees are being used appropriately and allocated fairly.   I will work toward building strong and positive relationships between our program and the other professional programs at USC.

I look forward to the next two years with you all, learning and growing as students and professionals. With your support and vote,  I hope to also spend that time representing you and our student body as GSG Senator.  

Philanthropy Chair – Allie Schmiesing

Hi my name is Allie Schmiesing! I am originally from the Bay Area, attended USC as an undergrad and now am a proud double Trojan. As an undergraduate, many of my most memorable and impactful experiences were in my work as a volunteer and I am excited about the opportunity to continue serving the LA community. Over the years, I participated in a wide variety of philanthropic organizations such as Joint Education Project, USC Troy Camp, Women and Youth Supporting Each Other, and Environmental Student Assembly. More than volunteering, I have years of experience planning events on USC’s campus. I understand the logistics of organizing events, drives and promotions that will allow our student body to give back to their community throughout the year. Should I be elected as Philanthropy Chair, my goals would be: 1) host at least one different community service event each month, 2) hold one drive a semester for those students who may not be able to physically attend our events, 3) partner with neighboring occupational therapy programs to increase our reach and 4) foster a philanthropic spirit among the USC OT student body. Thank you for the chance to engage in such a meaningful occupation to me and fight on!

Philanthropy Chair – Caroline Hardin

My name is Caroline Hardin, and I am interested in the Philanthropy Chair Position.  I am passionate about community service, and I would love to help promote events related to service and philanthropy to the students in the program.   I am hardworking, organized, and an excellent communicator, and I have used those skills in the past to plan various events.  In college, I managed a $3,000 budget to plan an all-day event for 250 individuals.  This included renting the space, preparing and decorating the space, planning the refreshments, creating a schedule of events, and delegating tasks to support team members.   I work well with others, and I believe I could do an excellent job recruiting my friends and classmates to get excited about the events that I would plan as Philanthropy Chair.  I would look forward to collaborating with the other members of the council, supporting their position's endeavors while working on my position's role.  I am thrilled to be a part of the division, and I am ready to dive in and get involved, meet new people, and get students excited about philanthropy! 

Philanthropy Chair - Henna Manglani 

Hello! My name is Henna Manglani and I am running for Philanthropy Co-Chair.  Being actively involved in my community has always been something I continue to be very passionate about.  Throughout my undergraduate career, I served as student coordinator and co-president of A Community Place, a social service referral and lunch program that serves the working poor, veterans, and homeless individuals.  This experience allowed me the privilege of working with people from every walk of life.  I had the opportunity to pack and distribute lunches while interacting with clients, offer referrals for medical appointments, and apply for grants to financially sustain the program.  I aim to use the skills I gained to promote as many philanthropy and community engagement opportunities as possible throughout the OT program.