Imprint 2021 September/October September/October 2021 | Page 25

Hi NSNA members ! I am so grateful and honored to be a part of the NSNA Board of Directors as Director West for the 2021-2022 term . This year I am chair of the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee , as well as a member of the Membership Committee and the Ethics and Governance Committee . I am excited to work with all of you to make tangible impacts across our many chapters .

I grew up in northern Virginia and currently go to school at Brigham Young University ( BYU ) in Provo , Utah . I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Geriatrics . At the BYU Student Nurses Association ( SNA ), I have had the opportunity to work as Service Director , coordinating with external service organizations and executing monthly service projects for our student body . I have also acted as the undergraduate representative on our school ’ s Student Development Council , which oversees planning and hosting a yearly Professionalism Conference for the BYU College of Nursing .

Additionally , I work as both a research assistant , with a focus on sexual assault forensics in Utah , and teaching assistant for an American government and politics class at my university . Outside of school , I volunteer as a Health Team member for Utah Valley Refugees . Otherwise , my time is usually dedicated to being outdoors , traveling , or playing music .

I am passionate about getting student nurses involved in their communities , and I look forward to connecting with our NSNA members to make this happen . As chair of the Health Policy and Advocacy Committee , my hope is to make health policy and advocacy relatable and relevant to our members . Although this content matter may seem overwhelming and complicated at times , our committee is determined to make this information accessible for anyone who wishes to make a difference . Our goal this year is to empower student nurses to be active participants in health policy and advocacy , providing resources to encourage understanding of current events and legislation that pertain to the nursing profession ; this will be achieved through monthly email updates , informative webinars , training opportunities , and conference sessions .

Feel free to email me if you have any questions and / or concerns . I look forward to hearing from each of you . Thank you for this opportunity to serve .

Greetings , everyone ! I have enjoyed getting to know you all through our creative virtual conventions , however , I am thoroughly excited for future face-to-face events where I can finally meet the students I have the pleasure of serving . It has been inspiring to see the grit of nursing students prevail against the recent challenges that have been presented to us in our educational journey . Now more than ever , the nursing profession needs passionate leaders such as you all .

I would like to express my gratitude for being appointed as an Ex-Officio Director and Chair of the Council of State Presidents ( COSP ). I am also honored to serve on the Ethics and Governance Committee , as well as the President of the Nursing Students ’ Association of New York State . In the past , I have served on the ANA-New York ’ s Education Committee , where I was able to become a published author and work alongside amazing nurse educators and lobbyists . Prior to my role as the President , I was the Breakthrough to Nursing Director of my state chapter , which allowed me to perform community outreach programs during the pandemic .

To share more about myself , I was born in San Diego , California and chose to pursue my nursing education in New York . I am on track to graduate with my Baccalaureate degree from Molloy College in December of 2022 . I currently work as a Resident Assistant in my college ’ s residence halls , a pharmacology tutor , and a barista on the weekends . Although life is often busy , I have many passions aside from nursing school , including backpacking / camping , mountain biking , photography , and baking .

As the COSP Chair , my overall mission is to increase engagement of our nursing students throughout the country by supporting and guiding the state presidents during their term . My goal is to ease the transition of state presidents into their role , as it is an initially daunting task . Student engagement has declined in certain states during the pandemic , so I will be working diligently to encourage state chapters to regain their constituency status .

I am looking forward to working with such a passionate group of individuals on the national level . Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns at cosp @ nsnainc . org . Thank you for this opportunity to serve you all .

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