Meiraf ZekaryasPresidentHi, my name is Meiraf and I’m your NSSLHA President. Being in NSSLHA, I was able to learn more about what is possible with this degree through some of the speakers and also conversations had in meetings. I would love to bring that same energy for the upcoming classes. I am hoping to serve as a point of contact between students, professors, and professionals and make sure that we are able to learn as much as possible before we enter our fields. I am hoping to be an SLP and eventually would also like to get an MFT as well to be able to work with TBI patients and their families in a more holistic way.
Fun facts about me: •I have a 7lb dog that runs my life •I read A LOT (and I would love to tell you about what I'm reading. please ask 😂) •I grew up in Washington, D.C. and North Carolina |
Vassilissa ManokhinaVice PresidentHI EVERYONE! MY FULL NAME IS VASSILISSA MANOKHINAI USUALLY GO BY VAS. I FEEL LIKE I AM THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL STUDENT IN THE UNDERGRAD COHORT (MAYBE EVEN IN THE PROGRAM O.O). I AM ORIGINALLY FROM CENTRAL ASIA BUT ETHNICALLY I AM RUSSIAN. I STARTED MY EDUCATION IN AUSTRIA, THEN MOVED TO THE STATES WHEN I WAS 19 AND RESUMED MY EDUCATION HERE. BACK THEN, I WAS STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY BUT SLP EVENTUALLY WON MY HEART OVER. I WORKED AT THE AVALON, A SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND OTHER MOVEMENT CHALLENGES, WHERE I OBSERVED DIFFERENT THERAPY SESSIONS SUCH AS PHYSICAL, VISION, O&M, AND OF COURSE SLP. I HAD FALLEN FOR SLP AT FIRST SIGHT! SPEECH THERAPISTS ARE JUST SO LOVELY AND PATIENT BUSY BEES. SLP WORK IS FILLED WITH LOVE, CARE, AND SO MUCH JOY IN MY OPINION.
IN MY FREE TIME, I STAY BUSY WITH MY SOCIAL LIFE! I ENJOY HANGING OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, DOING ACTIVE SPORTS SUCH AS SNOWBOARDING, ROCK CLIMBING, OR SURFING, OR HAVING QUIET SMALL BOARD GAME SESSIONS AT HOME. I AM OBSESSED WITH PLANTS AND BIRDS. I DO BIRDING WHERE I GATHER DATA ABOUT LOCAL BIRDS PRESENT IN THE BAY AREA WHICH IS LATER CAREFULLY REVIEWED BY SPECIALISTS WHO ANALYZE BIRD MIGRATION AND LIFE. ISN’T IT COOL!? I WOULD LOVE TO BE A PART OF NSSLHA SO THAT I CAN BE A PART OF A BIGGER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FOR THE STUDENTS’ GREATER GOOD! BEING A VICE PRESIDENT OF NSSLHA WOULD ALLOW ME TO USE MY SOCIAL SKILLS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND KEEP THEM ENGAGED IN THE CLUB’S ACTIVITIES. I BELIEVE I WOULD BE A GREAT CANDIDATE FOR THE VICE PRESIDENT POSITION BECAUSE I AM A VERY ORGANIZED PERSON ABLE TO MANAGE A BALANCE BETWEEN BEING SUCCESSFUL IN EDUCATION, WORK, AND PERSONAL LIFE. IT WOULD BE MY GOAL TO ORGANIZE AND DEMONSTRATE IN NSSHLA’S MEETINGS HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY JUGGLE ADULT LIFE, EDUCATION IN STEM, FUTURE CAREER STEPS, AND PERSONAL LIFE! IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT FOR ME TO CREATE A WELCOMING COMMUNITY FOR OUR FELLOW CLASSMATES BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE ALONE IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY WITHOUT ALL THESE STRONG TIES TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS. IT WOULD BE MY HONOR TO BE A VICE PRESIDENT OF NSSHLA AND CREATE A SAFE, NOURISHING, AND MOTIVATIONAL SPACE FOR STUDENTS PURSUING AN SLHS MAJOR AT SFSU. |
Jonah ManicatSecretaryHello! My name is Jonah and I am thrilled to be your 2023-24 Secretary! I am originally from Palm Springs, California but transferred to SFSU in my junior year and now I live in a cute, lil apartment with my bestie and toy poodle, Lilo. I’m a girl who loves to clean, travel, eat, watch movies, take long walks by the beach and change the scenery. One of my goals this school year is to be more proactive in the SLHS major as I am hoping to become an SLP in the future.
As NSSLHA’s secretary, I take responsibility in making sure each and every member is updated and notified of NSSLHA’s information, upcoming and important events, meeting times, and more. This school year will be a crazy ride but I am sure we will get to know each other more and create fulfilling memories together. My inbox is always open to everyone so feel free to reach out for any questions or concerns! |
Devora JimenezTreasurerI am excited to be the treasurer this school year and hope to continue making NSSHLA an engaging and informative club! My original major wasn’t SLHS however after I learned more about this major, I chose to pursue it and have no regrets. Something about me is that I prefer the cold over the heat, love to cook and bake, and read!
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Eunice CaycoSocial ChairHELLO EVERYONE! MY NAME IS EUNICE CAYCO. A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME: I'M AN AMBIVERT AND A FOODIE. IF YOU KNOW ME, IT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE I AM USUALLY STRESSING ABOUT FLO'S CLASS, ASKING YOU WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING TO DO AFTER GRADUATION, OR WE HAVE PROBABLY EXCHANGED NOTES. I RAN FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE I LOVE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY. I REALLY ENJOY SHARING MY IDEAS AND GETTING NEW IDEAS FROM OTHER PEOPLE, I KNOW HOW TO MANAGE MY TIME AND BE EFFICIENT. BEING CO-GRADUATION CHAIR WOULD BE AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. I WILL MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S IDEAS ARE HEARD SO WE CAN ALL HAVE AN AMAZING AND SUCCESSFUL GRADUATION.
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Marielle RazonMedia CoordinatorHELLO ALL! I'M MARIELLE AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO BE SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA DIRECTOR!
MY GOAL IS TO BECOME AN SLP ONE DAY AND PROVIDE AID FOR INDIVIDUALS TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY AND BE ABLE TO EAT ADEQUATELY. SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO WORK WITH CLIENTS WHO HAVE HAD A STROKE OR TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND HELP TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. I WANT TO RUN FOR THIS POSITION BECAUSE I ALSO HAVE A PASSION FOR EDITING AND CREATING. I AM RELIABLE, ORGANIZED, AND OPEN-MINDED, AND I BELIEVE I CAN BRING VALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NSSLHA CLUB TO ENSURE EVERYONE REMAINS UPDATED AND GETS THE INFORMATION THEY NEED IN AN ORGANIZED AND TIMELY MANNER. THINGS ABOUT ME: I LOVE TO COOK, MAKE LATTES, BE OUTSIDE, GO TO CONCERTS, READ, WATCH MOVIES, AND TRY NEW CAFES/RESTAURANTS. |
Osprey HorneckFundraising ChairHELLO, MY NAME IS OSPREY HORNECK. AS A TRANSFER STUDENT, MY TIME AT SFSU HAS BEEN MINIMAL BUT I WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME I HAVE LEFT BY BECOMING MORE INVOLVED ON CAMPUS AND BECOMING A NSSLHA OFFICER SEEMS LIKE A GREAT WAY TO DO THAT. I WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THE GRAD CHAIR ROLE BECAUSE I'M COMMUNICATIVE, RELIABLE, DETAIL-ORIENTED, AND CREATIVE. WE'VE ALL WORKED HARD TO EARN OUR DEGREES AND WE ALL DESERVE A GRADUATION THAT REFLECTS OUR EFFORTS; I AM EXCITED AND HONORED TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN!
A FEW FUN FACTS ABOUT ME: MY GRANDMOTHER WAS AN SLP AND SHE'S THE PERSON WHO INSPIRED ME TO CHOOSE THIS CAREER PATH. MY MIDDLE NAME IS RABBIT. I LOVE TO BAKE. |
Jiselle SaavedraGraduation ChairHI! I’M JISELLE SAAVEDRA, A STUDENT IN THE SLHS DEPARTMENT WHO IS REALLY INTERESTED IN THE SUBJECT OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN DRIVEN TO SUPPORT OTHERS’ COMMUNICATION EFFORTS AND SERVE AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THEIR NEEDS AND WANTS. BY APPLYING MY ORGANIZING AND PLANNING ABILITIES I WOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE A MEMORABLE GRADUATION FOR OUR COHORT. I CAN EXPRESS MY THOUGHTS TO THE CLUB AND PUT MY EVENT-ORGANIZING TALENTS TO USE BY DOING THIS.
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Hope-Marie DavidCo Grad ChairHello everyone, my name is Hope and I am from Vallejo, California! I am excited to be your 2023-2024 Graduation Co-Chair!
In my free time, I enjoy reading, drawing, listening to music, spending time with loved ones, and collecting Sonny Angel Babies! I also have a grey tuxedo cat named Neo who loves sleeping almost as much as I do. Being able to plan our department graduation is an amazing opportunity to utilize my great planning and execution abilities to help create a fun, efficient, and memorable celebration for the Class of 2024! I am looking forward to working with you all! ;) |
Alexa MajorCSHA RepresentativeMY NAME IS ALEXANDRA (ALEXA) MAJOR AND I AM A CURRENT FOURTH-YEAR STUDENT WHO HAS A COUPLE MORE YEARS AT SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY AND IS A SAN FRANCISCO NATIVE. I’M MAJORING IN SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING SCIENCES WITH A MINOR IN THEATRE ARTS (I’VE ALWAYS HAD A LOVE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS SINCE I WAS YOUNG).
My first experience with learning about the basics of speech therapy was through my younger sister during my grade school years. My four-year-old sister was resistant to treatment provided through The Nicholas Certo Speech, Language, and Hearing (SLH) Clinic at San Francisco State University. One day, the graduate student tending to my sister asked if I’d like to join the session and assist in engaging my sister through play with the presented material. I agreed and became intrigued by the graduate student’s interactive and fun way of improving speech. Although I was only ten years old at the time, it introduced me to the SLHS program at SF State and directly led me to choose this career path. I AM INTERESTED IN RUNNING FOR CSHA REPRESENTATIVE AS I HAVE ACQUIRED A HANDFUL OF SKILLS FROM MY LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE ON MY SORORITY’S EXECUTIVE BOARD. HAVING HELD VARIOUS POSITIONS SINCE MY FRESHMAN YEAR, A PARTICULAR ROLE I HELD THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE CSHA REPRESENTATIVE ROLE WOULD BE THE PANHELLENIC DELEGATE FOR CPC (COLLEGIATE PANHELLENIC COUNCIL) FOR SF STATE’S NATIONAL SORORITIES. SERVING AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND OUR CHAPTER’S EXECUTIVE BOARD, I REGULARLY COMMUNICATED CHANGES AND UPDATES BETWEEN EACH GOVERNING BODY. AMONG OTHER CAPABILITIES, I ENSURED MY NOTES WERE THOROUGH AND PAID ATTENTION TO DETAILS. LASTLY, I MAINTAINED A PROFESSIONAL YET TACTFUL MANNER AS I WAS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY CHAPTER. I BELIEVE THESE SKILLS WILL SEAMLESSLY ALIGN WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CSHA REPRESENTATIVE POSITION AND WOULD ENSURE SF STATE’S NSSLHA CHAPTER IS INFORMED ON CSHA ACTIVITIES AND RELATED MATTERS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THE CONSIDERATION! |
Valerie GregorashGrad Liaison
Valerie is a second-year graduate student in the
Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences department. Her academic interests include dysphagia and aphasia. Valerie is currently an intern at San Francisco General Hospital and hopes to work in a hospital or skilled nursing facility in the future. In her free time she enjoys knitting, karaoke, and baking. |