Assembly of Student
Delegates for the American Occupational Therapy Association (ASD)
Candidate: Benjamin
Berger
Ben comes
to the USC OT program with over 6 years of experience in the hotel and
restaurant management industry with a B.A. in Hospitality & Asset
Management from Kendall College in Chicago, Illinois. With years of experience
during his undergrad as President and Treasurer of the professional honorary
society, Eta Sigma Delta, Ben is well fit to represent the needs and concerns
of the USC OT student body and strengthen the USC OT and AOTA relationship.
With groomed recruitment, promotion, public speaking, and event management
skills, together with his student leadership experience, students will be kept well
engaged and informed of USC and AOTA events and relations as a result of his
efforts as the Assembly of Student Delegates Representative for the OT MA class
of 2015. Cast your vote with confidence in your eager, competent, and
experienced peer to liaise with AOTA on our USC OT student body’s behalf.
Candidate: Phillip Lin
Having recognized the crucial role AOTA plays in advancing
the goals of our profession, I wish to contribute to the advocacy, education,
and research that AOTA does by being your ASD Representative.
My experience in communicating and collaborating with others
has prepared me to represent the needs of USC’s OT students. From teaching grammar,
essay writing, and critical reading to high school students over the past three
years, I’ve cultivated compelling verbal communication and interpersonal
skills. Recently, based off reviews from the over 500 students I’ve taught, I
was awarded the Teacher of the Year award.
Furthermore, I’ve developed strong advocacy and analytical
skills from earning my J.D. degree from USC Law School. For example, while
working at the Los Angeles County Superior Court under Judge Anthony Mohr, I
helped handle a lending discrimination class action suit against Wells Fargo
which later ended with a $3.52 million verdict against the bank.
The close interaction and mentoring that I’ve had with
students as a resident advisor for two years at USC and two years at UCLA have
also taught me how to work with individuals from diverse backgrounds. During my
four years as a resident advisor, I’ve spearheaded community programs in
student residential areas, counseled residents on career choices, developed an
inclusive culturally-sensitive environment, and fostered student involvement,
responsibility, and leadership.
We, as OTs, need to work closely with AOTA to advance our
profession’s goals. Please allow me to help make our voices heard by AOTA as
your ASD Representative. Thank you.
Council Co-Chair
Candidate: Kayla Nishida
Hello, my name is Kayla Nishida and I am running for OTSC Co-Chair. My childhood was eventful living in Texas,
Japan and Hawaii. But at heart, I am
proud to be a Southern California girl.
I first became interested in Occupational Therapy by seeing my cousin
work with children with special needs.
My passions started to grow and I became active in ASB Student
Government, Best Buddies and the Special Education Department at Troy High
School to learn how to interact with many different groups of people and to
advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. From there, I found an interest in Spirits in
Action here at USC, as well as InterVarsity Trojan Christian Fellowship. Last year, I was elected President of the USC
Pre-OT Club.
Through my experiences, I found that the title does not
define a leader. A leader is defined by
their integrity, responsibility, compassion and efficiency. I’ve also learned that having a community to support,
encourage and challenge each other is important. I’d love to be a part of the Occupational
Therapy and Science Council to help grow this community aspect within the
organization. I know if I became OTSC
Co-Chair, I’d be excited and ready to learn.
I can’t promise I’ll never make mistakes, but I’ll give my 100% effort
in everything I do. I hope you will
consider me for this position, and I hope to meet you all soon. Thank you for your time!
Hello! For those of you who may
not know me yet, my name is Yasi Amanat. I have learned many things throughout my life but what has stayed with me
the most is the idea of leadership and
generosity. This passion has only grown since
the program has started, and for this reason, I am interested in becoming your OTSC Co-Chair. With a strong background
in leadership and initiative, I am
prepared to fully commit my time and energy to meeting our class’ needs. As many of you know, I live to be
organized, be a source of information and
to serve. I pride myself on my ability to multi-task and communicate with others effectively. I will apply my
organizational skills, energy and
tenacity to keep our student council organized and to ensure that we continue improving as strong leaders in the
USC community and beyond. Meetings will
be scheduled on a consistent basis and minutes and outcomes will be relayed to the entire class so that,
together, we can function as a cohesive and productive team and represent our
chosen profession. We will continue to be at the
forefront of leadership, strength, and
change. I would be honored to represent our class as the Council Co-Chair. I appreciate your vote and your
support. Thank you and fight on!
Faculty Liaison/Student
Needs & Development
Candidate: Brenda Covarrubias
My
name is Brenda Covarrubias and I am running for the Faculty
Liaison/Student Needs & Development position. I am a very social human
being (real social) and feel that this position is one that I
can excel in. I enjoy networking and really want to
utilize those skills for the benefit of our student body. I want to
maximize our experience as students here and hope I can bridge the
communication between us and our staff. I will strive to
understand the needs and wants of everyone involved. Thank you all for your
time! Woot!
Candidate: Kate Lee
My name is Kate Lee
and I’d like to run for the Faculty Liaison/Student Needs & Development
position. I see this position as a
wonderful opportunity not only to get to know my faculty and peers better, but
also to contribute to the development of the OT program so that everyone
involved can have the best experience possible throughout the next two
years. As an undergraduate student, I’ve
had the privilege of coordinating a Low Vision course under the supervision of
a full-time faculty member. I spent many
hours communicating with the 150 students as well as with the professor in
order to facilitate and coordinate the course effectively. During that time, I was fortunate enough to
cultivate skills that I enjoy using and feel are imperative to this position –
communication skills, being able to perceive both the spoken and unspoken
concerns of students and faculty, listening skills, and coming up with creative
ideas to meet mutual goals. If selected for this position, I look forward to
learning more valuable qualities that will allow me to become a better OT, and using
my strengths to the fullest to serve my fellow students and faculty.
Candidate: Kristy Seaver
I am interested in the position of Faculty Liaison and Student
Needs and Development Chair. It would be
my honor to represent our class and facilitate communication among the faculty,
our department, and the students. I find
it very important to be able to openly express ideas between the faculty and
students in order to create an environment conducive to learning as well as to
prepare us for the professional field. Collaboration
between faculty and students is essential to our profession since our faculty
will become our colleagues one day. It
would be my goal to express the student needs, ideas and opinions that
represent our entire student body therefore communicating with all students in
our program is essential for me to be successful in this position.
I attended the University of Minnesota Duluth(UMD) where I
received my degree in Community Health Education. While an undergrad I held many leadership
roles, including being a teaching assistant, student advisor, peer health
educator, peer advisor for a disabilities awareness group, and BreatheFree UMD
task force member. Being a member of the
BreatheFree UMD Task Force was a very similar role to the USC OTSC Faculty
Liaison since I represented the entire student body of UMD to professors,
administration, and members of the community to ensure that we maintained a
successful smoke free policy on campus. I feel that my background, knowledge
and personality will allow me to be a great representative for our class as the
Faculty Liaison/Students Needs and Development Chair.
Candidate: Lydia Cheung
Growing up in a fast-paced, diverse and
fast-growing city, Hong Kong, I was always interested in going outside of my
comfort zone to study or work abroad in order to broaden my knowledge and
enrich my life experience. I traveled to the U.S. 7 years ago for high school
exchange program, and now I am working on my graduate degree at USC. I didn’t
find out about occupational therapy until after I graduated from college. I
always knew that I would like to be in a profession that helps people alleviate
physical or psychological pain. I almost went into a graduate program in
clinical psychology, but my friend’s car accident changed my career path. He
suffered from a third degree burn and his life has changed drastically since
that incident. He told me how his occupational therapist helped him find
meaning in life through the use of activities that were meaningful to him. I
was very inspired, and researched what occupational therapy was all about, and
here I am working on my master in OT.
I
am interested in the Faculty Liaison/Student Needs and Development position. I
worked extensively with faculty members during my undergraduate studies on
research projects and honor thesis. I enjoy collaborating with faculty members
and students. I believe that my diverse background, exceptional communication
skill, proficiency in languages and unique life experiences would be an asset
to the Occupational Therapy and Science Council.
Candidate: Sam Valasek
If you have a question, comment, concern or
idea about your OT graduate experience, I would like to hear it. Explain the realities
to me as you see them. I believe that through open, honest communication
between ourselves and our faculty, we can craft an educational experience that
not only meets our needs but exceeds our expectations. My potential plan as our
faculty liaison is to be real, attentive, and fully present. In this way, the
mutual respect and understanding between students and professors, which is
already growing and thriving, will be maintained and communicated on a regular
basis. It is my hope that such a relationship will expand our opportunities to
collaborate, academically and otherwise.
My prior experience as an undergraduate
anatomy, physiology, and nutrition teaching assistant has previously allowed me
to work within a similar position. In that capacity, I found ways to meet the
needs of my students (who were often my peers) as well as those of the
professors with whom I worked. Thus, to a degree, I have considered education
from both perspectives and have developed the skills to communicate between
them.
Through
working together we can have an impact on our education as it is happening. If
everyone brings their ideas to the table, we can ensure that our program is the
best it can be. I know our professors look forward to this dialogue, so let me
know your thoughts and feelings and I will do my best to represent them
faithfully.
Fundraising Chair
Candidate: Lori Chartier
Before
finding my passion to become an occupational therapist, I experienced many
diverse jobs and participated in multiple special groups that have provided me
with a rich background in leadership and fundraising. I received my degree in Finance and Marketing
from CSU, Long Beach in 2005, and participated in the Golden Key International
Society during my senior year. In regards to work, I have several years of
experience as an Event Marketing Coordinator for a talent agency, hiring and
managing people to work promotional events, along with starting my own
insurance agency and marketing my business in the community through
volunteering, sponsorship, and networking. During my career as an insurance
agent, I co-founded a networking group in Business Networking International,
and served as the Vice President and President, where I helped mentor,
organize, and lead a group of thirty professionals. I was also a member of the
Rotary Club in Signal Hill which focused on fundraising to end polio, along
with many local community improvement initiatives. I enjoy participating in event
fundraisers such as the AIDS Project L.A. where I raised $5,000 through car
washes, bake sales, See’s candy sales, family and friends, penny drive, and
Easter basket sales. My most recent job was working at a non-profit community
health center as a Finance Assistant, where I helped create the annual budget
and developed productivity reports and analyses.
I am an energetic, social, and creative person
who enjoys giving back to the community and raising awareness for good causes.
Graduate Student
Government (GSG) Senator
Candidate: Cynthia Culp
My name is Cindy Culp and I would be honored and excited to
serve our occupational therapy and science students as our GSG Senator. It has been such a pleasure getting to know
many of you over the past three months.
I am originally from Redding, California and have enjoyed also living in
the San Francisco Bay Area, Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Louisiana as an adult.
In 2009, after my two children both married and moved to
Southern California, I decided it was time to return to school and complete my
degree. I graduated, with honors, with a
BA in Psychology in April 2012. I first
learned about occupational therapy in my first class at Simpson University in
2010. During the time I was in school, I
carried 17 units (between my Psych degree and completing prerequisites for the
OT program), and worked in the afternoons as an occupational therapy aide. In October 2012, I was promoted to the
position of program assistant, which functioned as the administrative assistant
to the director of our therapy department.
I worked closely with the various departments in our facility, including
PT/OT/ST therapists, nursing, MDS, nutrition, billing, recreation, and medical
records.
I enjoy people and our program! I love
to be involved and would strive to present a strong and positive image to our
fellow graduate students at USC. I would
sincerely fulfill the duties involved with the GSG Senate and strive to keep
the lines of communication flowing.
Thank you so much for considering me for this position!
Hi everyone! J
For those of you I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, my name is Caitlin
Ito and I am a first year student of the OT progressive degree program from
Kailua, Hawai’i. I am so excited about having the opportunity to run for the
position of Historian for OTSC! I believe that I am a great candidate given my
passion and skills in photography. Taking photos is one of my most meaningful
occupations, and a hobby that I hope to one day become professional in. I have
always been the “shutterbug” among my friends and family. You can trust that
I’ll be prepared whenever a photo opportunity arises! I love to document
everyday experiences, landscapes, and people. In high school, I was the Head
Photographer on the yearbook committee and I gained a lot of experience
shooting sports and events. As an undergrad at USC, I have been a photographer
for the student newspaper, The Daily Trojan, and USC’S Yearbook, El Rodeo. I have
also contributed to documentation for other community and service organizations
I am a member of, including Trojan Dance Marathon, USC Hawai’i Club, and USC
Helenes.
I am a friendly, hard-working, and responsible team player.
I’m interested in becoming more involved with our Occupational Therapy division,
growing as a leader, and working together with my fellow students and faculty
to enhance the sense of community in our program. I would be honored to serve
as one of your future OTSC officers. Thank you for taking the time to read my
bio, and as always, FIGHT ON! J
(Feel free to check out some of my photography here: http://caitlinito.wix.com/calohilani)
Candidate: Leila Abulashin
My
name is Leila Abulashin and I would love to be your OTSC Historian for the
Class of 2015. I received my B.S. in International Business from California
State Polytechnic University of Pomona where I started my photography love
affair. My main goal as a photographer is to capture a moment and ignite a
memory.
My
experience in documenting and managing media include managing my own little
photography business with experience shooting engagements, families, graduations
and events. I also volunteered with the Royal Marine Conservation Society of
Jordan where I performed administrative and marketing tasks to support this
non-profit environmental organization. During my time there I produced
promotional material, developed social media strategies, designed a newsletter
and filmed and edited a short documentary on the organization’s goals and
current projects. Additionally, I had the opportunity to work for a special
events company known for producing celebrity gifting suites where I compiled
and organized post and pre-production items including photos and media hits.
Many of my colleagues, friends and family have designated me as their
photographer. As an interest of mine, I have background in design programs like
Photoshop, Lightroom, iMovie and MS Publisher. My past experiences have shaped
me into a dependable, lively and detail oriented person and I will do my best
to capture the moments in our journey as we become OT’s. If chosen, I am ready and excited to present
the Occupational Therapy Class of 2015 in the best way possible.
Thank
you!
International
Relations Chair
Candidate: Angela Linghu
Hola! Ni hao! An-nyong! Shalom! Hello
classmates and future global citizens! I’m Angela
Linghu and I want to be your International
Relations Chair! I’ve always enjoyed learning about the world’s various
cultures. This may have to do with my colorful upbringing. I spent most of my
childhood as an ambassador’s daughter at multicultural functions and have had
the amazing opportunity to be introduced to many views of the world. In
college, I elected to study linguistics and minored in Healthcare-Social Issues
with an emphasis on global health. As a result, I’ve lived with a case of
curiosity for international policies, lifestyles, and cultures.
Every day,
countries are becoming more interconnected and globally interdependent. The ebb
and flow of knowledge and ideas moves around the world almost instantly now!
All disciplines advance at a high speed because of this reality. Occupational
therapy is definitely not exempt from this inevitability. I am so excited to
see OT grow and spread around the world. I am even more excited to help our class intellectually mature into leaders
of global medicine. I plan to facilitate speaker and forum events that provide
global perspectives and international intervention ideas. Help me help you! I
want to know what OT’s do all around the world. Don’t you?
Occupational Therapy
Association of California (OTAC) Liaison
Candidate: Carlos Cruz
Hello my name is Carlos Cruz
and I am interested in running for the Occupational Therapy Association of
California Liaison. The reason I am
running for this position is that I believe in the importance of advocating for
our profession. I am a male, bilingual
student in occupational therapy, which is a multi-culturally sensitive
field. I understand being the minority
in a situation, getting my voice heard and promoting my values. I will voice the needs of our class at the
state level. I will be a line of communication between the students at USC and
the leaders of advocacy at the state level.
I think outside of the box, enjoy networking and meeting new
people. Thank you and I look forward to
the opportunity to serve you as the OTAC liaison.
Philanthropy Chair
Candidate: Amanda Blattman
I am running for philanthropy chair
because I want to encourage my fellow classmates to get involved with the
community that we will be working with one day. While fieldwork is a great opportunity
to learn about various populations, we will be unable to interact with all
types. I believe that participating in philanthropy events is a great way to
explore and serve these unvisited areas. Bringing my peers together for such
events will provide great opportunities to gain knowledge and skills outside
the classroom.
Beginning my sophomore year of college at
UC Davis, I was a member of the student-run Undergraduate Psychology
Association (UPA). Through this organization I was able to gain leadership
experience and meet people with my same passions. I was elected Publicist my
junior year, where I was responsible for promoting meetings and recruiting
members. During my senior year I was elected President. Before my presidency,
the club primarily functioned as an information and networking association. When
I was elected, my goal was to expand the focus to become a more versatile
organization and provide opportunities for students to gain unique experiences to
ultimately increase student interest and attendance. During my term, I planned
community service, fundraising and social activities, as well as created
committee chairs for each of these areas to allow members to gain leadership
skills. As President, it was my responsibility to oversee the entire club, obtain
speakers for meetings, and plan all club activities with both the board and
committee chairs.
Candidate: Jonathan Rodil
Hello,
My name is Jonathan Rodil, and I
would be honored if I was to earn the position of Philanthropy and Community
Service Chair. Some of my experience in community service includes participating in
blanket drives for the homeless, donating to Toys for Tots, being a member of
Save Darfur as an undergraduate, and cleaning our beaches. As a member of the Surfrider Foundation, I
made a commitment to keep our beaches clean, sustainable, and spread awareness
to the community on what they can do to take care of our ocean. I have also volunteered at Casa Colina
Rehabilitation Centers in Pomona, where I worked with patients who have a disability,
and Cornerstone Therapies, where I worked with children who have special needs.
I have always lived with the
philosophy that life’s journey is measured through the lives you touch. I know
that as occupational therapists, we all have great aspirations to positively
impact the lives we encounter. As your Philanthropy and Community Service Chair,
my goal is to bring out the very best we have to offer as a collective group
and to reach our maximum potential as to what we can accomplish. Together, we
can utilize our knowledge, skills, and strengths to spread positive change and
to make a difference. By collaborating with all of you, I plan to shape goals
based on our collective interests, values, and ideas on how we can better serve
the community, address the needs within it, and extend positive change. Thank
you!
Candidate: Shawn Lin
My name is
Shawn Lin and I would like to run for the position of Philanthropy Chair for
the Occupational Therapy & Science Council (OTSC). I believe I am absolutely qualified to
fulfill the duties and responsibilities of Philanthropy Chair and will perform
them with as much dedication and compassion as only a fellow future
occupational therapist can. I have been
involved in various community service events as an organizer for a professional
networking group on Meetup.com for over 5 years. I started out my undergraduate years in a
community service, co-ed fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, where I served as
Fellowship Vice President and helped new members fulfill their service and
organization requirements. I have helped
organize community events such as carnivals for children and chaired committees
for fundraisers and banquets.
As Philanthropy Chair, I promise to
work closely with the current chairs as well as the faculty and administration
to search for exciting community events in order for us to be active
participants. I will be looking forward
to serving as your philanthropy chair. Thank you.
Professional Development
Chair
Candidate: Karen Ni
Hello
classmates! My name is Karen Ni and I am running for Professional Development
Chair. I am passionate about promoting occupational therapy and occupational
science to others because most of the public is unfamiliar with OT. Since I
believe we have chosen the best profession, it is my mission to get the rest of
society to know and love occupational therapy as much as we do! However, I
cannot achieve this goal without your support. Starting with OT students, I
hope to provide the resources to aid in our own professional development
through educational opportunities. We can learn from our distinguished faculty and
from each other through spreading ideas that will advance our profession. I am
especially interested in new areas where we can expand our scope of practice,
such as animal-assisted therapy and alternative medicine. Since OT is
interdisciplinary and we will be working alongside other professionals, I can
organize events with other students in the health care professions to allow us
to start forming connections early. As a Bachelor’s to Master’s student, I will
also use my strong ties with the USC undergraduate community to educate my
peers about OT. My enthusiasm, determination and ambition have helped me hold
many leadership roles at USC, including my current positions as co-president of
P.A.W.S. and Entertainment Chair of Spirits in Action. Together, I am confident
we can make an immense contribution to our profession. The future of OT is in our
hands!
Candidate: Rebecca Heymann
My passion is to experience the world. Yes, that often means
the natural world (dog sledding, sea kayaking and hiking have all fit into my
previous professions), but it also means my dedication to lifelong learning. I
am a strong communicator, have always stood up for my friends and peers, and I
seek out uncomfortable, new situations. I am not afraid to approach a stranger,
nor am I afraid to fail (or to make a total fool of myself from time to time).
As your professional development chair, I will organize engaging events that
you will want to attend, and, hopefully, that your non-OT friends might be
interested in as well. I believe that many people have values that strongly
coincide with OT, they might just not know it yet. I promise to work hard for
our student body, and to listen (actively, of course!) to your interests and
values.
Social Chair
Candidate: Kristin Wong
Hi everyone! My name is Kristin Wong, and I would love to be
your OTSC social chair. Although we were all excited to be finished with the
summer session, I heard so many classmates sadly say that they weren’t looking
forward to being separated into different cohorts and barely seeing each other
anymore. Well, that can definitely change through the events I create to bring
us all back together! In addition to being one big happy class of 2015 again,
we’ll have the opportunity to get to know and hang out with the 2nd
years, the PTs, and maybe even the pharm and med students! (Instead of just
awkwardly passing by them in the hallways…) Also, meeting up with OT students
from other programs would be a great way to network, gain alternate insights,
and create memories with new friends. I want all of us to share experiences
together and especially meet those we haven’t gotten the chance to yet.
In the past, I’ve served as vice president of service for my
pledge class and been a part of end of semester banquet committees in a co-ed
community service fraternity. I enjoy organizing fun activities, but more
importantly, I love seeing everyone bond and have an awesome time with each
other. That really makes me happy! Keeping a balance of work and play in my
life is important to me, and I hope to achieve this goal with all of you as
well by being your social chair. Thanks! =]
