2016 SSIG SLATE OF CANDIDATES Candidates for PT Co-Chair

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1 The OPTA SSIG Board is pleased to present the following slate of candidates for the 2016 elections. Online voting for students opens March 24, 2016 and ends April 22, At the beginning of the 30-day election period, OPTA student members will receive an with login instructions to place votes through our partner, AssociationVoting.com. SSIG election results are announced at the OPTA Annual Conference on Saturday, April 23, 2016 during the Membership Recognition Meeting & Luncheon. Questions? Contact 2016 SSIG SLATE OF CANDIDATES Candidates for PT Co-Chair Alexa Bosanac, SPT - Cleveland State University Kayla Francis, SPT - The Ohio State University Candidate for PTA Co-Chair Melissa Goodall, SPTA - Bradford School Candidates for Vice Chair Kelsey Biller, SPT - Ohio University Matthew Gringas, SPT - University of Cincinnati Candidate for Secretary Amara Taranto, SPT - The Ohio State University Candidates for Web Coordinator Alex Rospert, SPT - University of Findlay Candidates for Activities Coordinator Kelly Clancy, SPT - University of Dayton Annie Djukic, SPT - Cleveland State University Jen Semans, SPT - Ohio University Eden McDaniel, SPT - University of Cincinnati Candidate for Student Challenge Coordinator Ali Thorup, SPT - University of Cincinnati Kimberly Parent, SPT - University of Dayton Candidates for APTA Core Ambassador Segun Agaja, SPT - Ohio University Matthew Mucha, SPT - Walsh University Karen Thatcher, SPT - Ohio State University

2 PT Co-Chair Alexa Bosanac, SPT I am a third year physical therapy student at Cleveland State University. I have been involved in the APTA, OPTA and have served as one of Cleveland State s SSIG representatives for the past two years. Working as a graduate assistant for a Cleveland State professor, I was able to increase my communication and time management skills as well as having the opportunity to teach. Strive Where You Are, a project that I worked on with peers, professors, and seniors in the Cleveland community, contributed to the above mentioned skills, as well as providing me an opportunity to work with a team. During undergrad, I participated on Capital University s women s soccer team which required me to learn to work as a team member while also managing my academic time. I strive to be as involved as possible in the OPTA by taking part in the Northeast District s activities and meetings and enjoy participating in OPTA events such as the annual conference and advocacy day. I believe that my involvement and willingness to participate are two qualities that would make for a good PT Co- Chair. ALEXA BOSANAC CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY My hopes for the SSIG include getting more students involved, since that is what the SSIG is all about! I would do this by utilizing social media and school s student representatives to spread the word about conference calls and different events. The ultimate reason I am running for the OPTA PT Co-Chair is to continue promoting the physical therapy profession and to help showcase all the great benefits of being an active member in the OPTA.

3 PT Co-Chair Kayla Francis, SPT I am a second-year student in The Ohio State University Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, where I serve as president of the Class of This platform has provided me the opportunity to advocate not only for my class, but also for Ohio State s physical therapy program as a whole. Through speaking at recruitment events, leading fundraising efforts and planning a university-wide PT 5k, I ve used my voice to enact change in my community. Outside of the classroom, I utilize my bachelor s in Exercise Science Education to teach group fitness classes, personal training and perform exercise prescription assessments at Seven Studios in downtown Columbus. These practices have deepened my knowledge of the benefit that physical movement can provide for the human condition. I am also a guest lecturer at a local Yoga Teacher Training Institute, where I present on 11 Systems of the Body & Overview of the Musculoskeletal System. These experiences have further enhanced my public speaking and leadership qualities. KAYLA FRANCIS THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY This fall, I attended the APTA National Student Conclave in Omaha, Nebraska, and in February will attend the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in Anaheim, California. Such conferences offer educational and professional growth at the national level, thus lending knowledge that I seek to bring back to the OPTA student board. I have a passion for uniting others and hope that through the PT Co-Chair position I might represent all Ohio DPT/PTA students in accomplishing initiatives to positively impact the physical therapy profession.

4 PTA Co-Chair Melissa Goodall, SPTA I would love to accept the PTA Co-Chair position. I am a 26 year old SPTA (Bradford School Columbus) from Lexington, Oh. I have my BS in Exercise Science from the University of Toledo. As PTA Co-Chair I will promote and encourage student participation with the SSIG. I will work to continue to give PT and PTA students a voice in the OPTA. I believe it is important to provide students with a way to meet, confer and promote their interests with the OPTA and the APTA. My experience as a team captain of my college basketball team and working for the Mansfield YMCA has taught me how to lead, advocate, and collaborate with all people. This opportunity to be involved with the SSIG will allow me to help other PT and PTA students network with current professionals and keep them informed of important happenings of the OPTA and APTA. MELISSA GOODALL, BRADFORD SCHOOL

5 Vice Chair Kelsey Biller, SPT During my undergraduate education, I served as a research assistant, coordinator, co-author and presenter where I studied the effect of load uncertainty on anticipatory and compensatory postural muscle adjustments. I worked to begin a study examining the effects of closed kinetic and open kinetic chain exercise on hip musculature, timing, and onset. In these studies, I was responsible for coordinating over 20 student assistants as well as faculty and participants while performing data collection, training, and processing. As president of the pre-physical and occupational therapy club, I worked to educate other undergraduates on the physical and occupational therapy professions, graduate programs, as well as the profession itself through coordinating speakers, information sessions, and trips to clinic sites and graduate programs. KELSEY BILLER OHIO UNIVERSITY I currently serve as OPTA Liaison for Ohio University s DPT class of As a student representative from my school, I work to stay informed in order to increase participation in important advocacy issues, spread awareness of important issues facing physical therapists today, as well as increase involvement of my program in state and national physical therapy events. I accomplish this through writing a monthly newsletter, s and updates on social media. I would like to increase my involvement in the Ohio Physical Therapy Association to continue to spread the principles I currently endorse not only to my program, but to all OPTA students. Because of my past leadership experiences and current OPTA involvement, I feel as though I would serve as PT Vice-Chair of OPTA s SSIG board well.

6 Vice Chair Matthew Gringras, SPT MATTHEW GRINGAS UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI My name is Matthew Gingras and I am a student at the University of Cincinnati. I am running for the position of Vice Chair for the OPTA SSIG Executive Board for the school year. This position entails coordinating the new elections each year, welcoming new members and helping the other chairmen when needed. The reason I am the perfect fit for this position is that in 2013 I served as Executive Vice President of the Interfraternity Council at Miami University, and my position had very similar responsibilities. I organized and ran elections as well as coordinated weekly meetings between the university and fraternity presidents, all while helping out the other board members with their various tasks and duties. A position like this takes someone with a high amount of responsibility and organization, two qualities that I have developed to the highest extent. Before becoming Executive VP of IFC, I was chapter president of my fraternity during This position demands a high amount of leadership capabilities as you must run a chapter of 100+ of your peers while also working with the chapter s national office, faculty adviser and the University. During my time at UC, I have been selected by my faculty to serve on the DPT Admissions committee and have been named a Admissions Ambassador for helping lead open house events. These experiences have given me the leadership qualities necessary to succeed as your next Vice Chair for the OPTA SSIG Executive Board.

7 Secretary Amara Taranto, SPT Hello. My name is Amara Taranto and I am a first year Doctor of Physical Therapy student at The Ohio State University. I am specializing in pediatrics and research and currently hold the OPTA Representative position for OSU s Class of After networking at the 2015 National Student Conclave in Omaha and learning about other PT and PTA programs, I decided to pursue involvement with the physical therapy community at a higher level than just my class. I believe I am detail-oriented, prompt, work well with others and trust I would be a great Secretary for the OPTA SSIG Executive Board during the school year. This position will help me grow as a practitioner, but most importantly give me the opportunity to hear and learn from students and schools throughout Ohio, widening my appreciation for our profession. Thank you! AMARA TARANTO THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

8 Web Coordinator Alex Rospert, SPT ALEX ROSPERT UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY My name is Alex Rospert, and I am a second year DPT student at the University of Findlay. My hometown is Norwalk, OH, where I graduated from St. Paul High School. Last May, I graduated from UF with my bachelor s degree in health sciences and strength and conditioning. During my time at UF, I have been involved in many campus organizations, service projects, and personal and professional development opportunities; including leadership roles in the Newman Club, three-year Residence Life staff member, four-year Gliding Stars of Findlay volunteer, and 2015 OPTA Leadership Development Conference participant. I am very passionate about the physical therapy field and the opportunities our generation has, and will continue to have, in developing and growing the profession. I believe that through my prior experiences, drive, and passion, I demonstrate the leadership, organizational, and technical skills needed to successfully serve as the OPTA Student Special Interest Group Website coordinator. It is my goal through serving in this role, to increase communication and connectedness between all Ohio PT and PTA students, update PT and PTA students on development and networking opportunities, and to promote active involvement in our professional organization. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to working with and serving you in the future as the OPTA SSIG Website Coordinator..

9 Activities Coordinator Kelly Clancy, SPT My name is Kelly Clancy, and I am running for the Activities Coordinator position on the SSIG board. I am currently a first year student at the University of Dayton where I hold the Service Coordinator position for my class. I created the Service Coordinator position this year in order to encourage and communicate service opportunities to my peers. In this position, I am in charge of updating a new website that lists all the upcoming service opportunities and planning a service event each semester. I also have experience planning service trips and retreats as a member of the executive board for an organization called Alternative Breaks as an undergraduate. In Alternative Breaks, I was involved in planning and executing outreach opportunities to serve those in need all across the country. We planned twenty service trips that dealt with a wide range of social justice issues such as inaccessibility, challenges related to an aging population, and substance abuse. In addition to my role as a board member, I also was in charge of planning two retreats that were aimed at training the leaders of those trips in items such as conflict resolution and diversity training. I am interested in becoming the Activities Coordinator because I want to stay active in my community and in my profession, and I believe I have the experience and leadership skills to make a great Activities Coordinator for the SSIG board. KELLY CLANCY UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

10 Activities Coordinator Annie Djukic, SPTA Hi everyone! My name is Annie and I am currently a 3rd year student at Cleveland State University. This year I am running for the Activities Coordinator position because it is my goal to become more involved in the profession of PT. I believe that is important to have organized events that enrich our knowledge as a profession. I would like to plan events that give students and practitioners the ability to develop new relationships and networks in order to enhance their future career as well as propel the profession forward in a positive way. As an undergraduate I developed my leadership, communication, and organizational skills as a captain of Cleveland State University volleyball team. Additionally, I was a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and played a part in planning events for the student athlete body. I am also a high school volleyball coach. My experiences as a player, coach, and SAAC member have helped me develop excellent time management skills and the insight into the intricacies of planning events to maximize participation while coordinating with people who have different agendas. ANNIE DJUKIC CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY I am currently an active member of the APTA and Northeast district of the OPTA and have participated in many of the events as well as multiple CEU courses including CSM in My involvement in these events has helped me understand the importance of excellent leadership and organizational skills required to develop meaningful programming to promote participation and create excitement with in the profession.

11 Activities Coordinator Eden McDaniel, SPT Coming from a small town, I began to funnel my energies into leadership activities early. I became president of our local Interact Club and spent three years of high school planning fundraisers to donate to charitable causes. I ve planned winter carnivals, potluck and spaghetti suppers, trips to soup kitchens etc. In college I continued my love for service by participating in events like Relay for Life and Serve Beyond Cincinnati travelling to El Salvador to help build a house. I was elected as a class representative our first summer in PT school at UC and since, I ve hosted a Motivational Monday ; something our class tries to do once a month to come together and remind ourselves why we love PT, planned a successful penny war to raise money for the Pittsburgh-Marquette challenge, a multi-class laser tag outing, and set up multiple happy hour type events for our classes to get a chance to mingle outside of studying! I love setting up activities that allow our students to interact with one another. To be able to expand that to include other programs would be a fantastic way to enhance our ability to network with one another. I ve always been very open to listening to the ideas of my peers and try to act as a catalyst to enact whatever ideas are brought to my attention. As the Activities Coordinator on the Student SIG board I would strive to connect programs, enhance networking, and provide opportunities for schools to exchange ideas. EDEN MCDANIEL UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

12 Activities Coordinator Jen Semans, SPT My name is Jen Semans, and I am currently in my second year of physical therapy school at Ohio University. I completed my undergraduate degree at The University of Pittsburgh with a degree in rehabilitation science and a certificate in pathokinesiology in rehab. I am honored to have been nominated for the SSIG position of Activities Coordinator and feel that I am well qualified for this position. During my first year of PT school, I was elected as social chair of our class. I have helped plan numerous events each semester, from a welcome picnic for more than 100 people for the incoming class, to a going-away dinner before my class left for clinicals. This position has helped me become considerably more efficient at planning events and communicating with classmates, other students, and professionals outside of the program. During my second year, I worked as a TA in the anatomy course for the first-year PT students along with planning and leading a bi-weekly study group for them. My previous and current leadership experiences, organizational skills and ability to work with all people have helped prepare me for the position of Activities Coordinator. I love bringing people together and hope to encourage unity and communication between physical therapy students from different schools by serving as OPTA SSIG Activities Coordinator. JEN SEMANS OHIO UNIVERSITY

13 Student Challenge Coordinator Kim Parent, SPT Hi! I am currently serving as the vice president of my DPT class at the University of Dayton. I enjoy leadership positions and love working behind the scenes to make things happen. I m running for this position because I want to be more involved in the OPTA and connect with students across schools. I love games, and enjoy bringing people together through the spirit of competition! I worked in undergrad at Miami University as the campus-wide programming director; during that time I organized various large-scale events on campus. One of those events was a 24-hour competition that included coming up with over 500 clues and riddles that led to different places on campus as well as organizing challenges throughout the event. I ve also spent the past few summers working as the athletic director at an overnight sports camp. This role allowed me to work with counselors to organize track and swim meets, competitions, games, etc. These two positions have given me experience with the detailed, behind-the-scenes work that goes into planning large events, creating challenges, and working within a team dynamic. I would like to use the Student Challenge Coordinator position as an opportunity to build community both within and between our programs in Ohio, and provide resources and opportunities for us to collaborate and grow as we navigate this crazy journey of graduate school. KIM PARENT UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

14 Student Challenge Coordinator Ali Thorup, SPT My name is Ali Thorup, and I am running for the Student Challenge Coordinator position. I am a second year student in the University of Cincinnati Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. I serve as one of the representatives of my class for which I work to relay information between my class and the faculty as well as coordinate events with the representatives of the other classes to get to know each other. I am also the Steering Committee Director for the University of Cincinnati Open School Clinic. For this position, I oversee all of the leaders that help run the clinic, making sure the goals we set at each monthly meeting are met as well as making sure clinic runs smoothly each week. After attending the OPTA Leadership Conference last fall, I was inspired to find a way to become more involved in this organization, and requested to join the Student Challenge Committee to help the current coordinator create the 2016 Student Challenge. From my previous involvement in organizations in both undergraduate and graduate school, I have gained a lot of experience in leadership as well as in event planning, which is why I would love the opportunity to create the best Student Challenge possible in ALI THORUP UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

15 APTA Core Ambassador Segun Agaja, SPT Hello all, my name is Segun Agaja, I am a 1st year PT student at Ohio University. I believe that any good leader is a servant first and that is what you, as students, can expect from me. I am also very open to feedback because I understand feedback is what creates space for change and progression. If selected for the core ambassador position, I can guarantee that I will work diligently to serve you all and provide you all with the greatest opportunities to become involved and aware of our profession and its advocacy efforts. Thank you.. SEGUN AGAJA OHIO UNIVERSITY

16 APTA Core Ambassador Matthew Mucha, SPT My name is Matthew Mucha, and I am a second year student in the Walsh University DPT program. I was born and raised in Parma, OH and received my undergraduate degree in molecular biology from Grove City College. While there, I made many memories running track and cross-country and serving the campus community. Now settled in North Canton, my focus has shifted to becoming an effective practitioner and involved member in the physical therapy community. Aside from my studies, I further involved myself with the APTA by participating in the House of Delegates in 2015 as a student usher and the Combined Sessions Meeting in Through both of these experiences, I received an inside glimpse of the national physical therapy spectrum which continues to enhance my education and professional development. Having also taken an interest in the OPTA, I attended state meetings and formed connections with members of the OPTA leadership and delegates. Within my home community, I have assisted in research studies, community clinics, and Walsh s annual Fit Family 5k, which aims to involve the community in health and fitness as well as fundraise to promote SPT involvement in national and state meetings. I am excited for Ohio to continue to lead the pack in student and practitioner involvement at all levels. I hope to have the privilege to facilitate this crucial facet of SPT and SPTA development as your APTA student representative. MATTHEW MUCHA WALSH UNIVERSITY.

17 APTA Core Ambassador Karen Thatcher, SPT As a second year dual DPT/PhD student at The Ohio State University, I m passionate about physical therapy and committed to transforming society by improving the human condition. I came to Ohio State after eight years out in the real world, leaving my job and relocating from Boston, MA (Go Patriots!) to pursue my dream of becoming a physical therapist, teaching in a DPT program and conducting research to advance the field. The sacrifices I made in order to return to school make me a uniquely qualified candidate for the position on the APTA Student Assembly. My previous professional experience has been an invaluable asset and will be greatly utilized advocating for the students of Ohio to the APTA Student Assembly. My eight years with the US Women s National Hockey team instilled a strong work ethic, the importance of teamwork, and a hard-nosed determination. Concurrently, I coached at a Division I women s college hockey program and worked as a head personal/group trainer at training facilities in the greater Boston area. KAREN THATCHER My passion for change and for advocating for PT/PTA students was further ignited after attending the APTA State Policy and Payment Forum in Denver, Colorado and the APTA National Student Conclave in Omaha, Nebraska this past fall. I am looking forward to making the school year the most successful in OPTA SSIG history! THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY