Meet Your 2023 Cal State LA NSSLHA Board and Representatives

Hi everyone, I am Alba!! I am a first-year graduate student, a bilingual SLPA, and a proud mom of two amazing teens. I am beyond excited to be your 2023 CSULA NSSLHA President. I was a NSSLHA Rep in 2021 and dreamt of being part of the Board once accepted into the M.A. Program. I am excited to help, support, empower and contribute to your COMD journey and continue learning as we create friendships and become colleagues in this wonderful field.

Hi, my name is Grace! I'm a first-year graduate student and I received my B.A. from CSUF. I was a board member for S.T.A.N.C.E., and am excited to be a part of the NSSLHA board! I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone and providing resources for our community.

Hi everyone, my name is Genesis and I will be the editor this year. I was a post-bacc here in CSULA and am now in my first year of Grad school. In the future, I hope to work with bilingual clients and underserved immigrant communities in a medical setting. I am excited to be a part of NSSLHA this year and hope that we will be able to provide all of you with resources to help you get through the COMD program!

Hi everyone, I’m Cortney! I’m a first-year graduate student, and I’m so elated to be a part of the 2023 NSSLHA board. I look forward to meeting you all and feel free to contact me about anything!

Hello! My name is Renee (re-KNEE), I am a first year graduate student and excited to be a part of DEI & NSSLHA! Always here for any questions or support you may need.

Hi there! I’m Natalie Acosta. I am currently in the last semester of my COMD undergrad. I am excited to be one of your undergraduate social media representatives this year. Our amazing COMD department has many resources that I am excited to share with you all!

Hi everyone! My name is Tiffany Clarissa Sandoval and I am one of your 2023 NSSLHA Membership Representative Volunteers! I am so excited to be able to volunteer my time to NSSLHA and be a part of this wonderful team. I recently finished my post-bacc and just applied to graduate school (fingers crossed)! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I cannot wait to change lives in this field!

Hi everyone! My name is Jackie Carrillo-Alcaraz, and I am your Finance Representative. I am looking forward to this year with great enthusiasm, eagerness to help students stay motivated and provide fun activities to raise money for our NSSLHA chapter.

Hi everyone, my name is Violet. I am thrilled to be part of our school’s NSSLHA chapter as the Public Relations representative. I'm excited to work with a wonderful team to help guide and support our fellow COMD students! I look forward to having a great semester with you all. Wishing you great success!

Hi everyone! My name is Mara Saliman (she/her) and I’m super excited to be your DEI rep. I want to make NSSLHA a safe and happy place for all students, so please reach out to me if you have any concerns regarding accessibility and/or representation. I am currently a post-bacc SLP student and loving every second. In my free time, I’m either nerding out about linguistics or watching too much television. I look forward to meeting you!

I am looking forward to serving NSSLHA this year as your Vice President! I am a non-traditional student, returning to college to complete my BA after working as a hairstylist, instructional assistant, and post-secondary teacher for many years, and now in the process of earning my MA. I first learned about our future profession working as an instructional assistant at a high school; working with older children and adults is where I envision myself in the future. In my free time, I enjoy live music, spending time with friends who are family, and my zoom famous pets: Daisy and Fergus. I also love helping my fellow students, so please feel free to reach out to me if you are struggling or have questions, through email or via peer mentoring.

Hey everyone! I am Sarah and I will be Co-Treasurer. The first time I applied to our grad program I was waitlisted and ultimately not accepted. Fast forward to today I am now presenting posters in CSHA and ASHA conferences so remember “no” does not mean never! I am very excited to be part of NSSLHA and hope to create a comfortable and welcoming sense of community within the COMD department. And like all my colleagues have mentioned, if you need help with anything please feel free to reach out. We’re here to help!

Hello everyone, My name is Dominique. I am excited to be a part of DEI. I am looking forward to being able to get to know everyone and encouraging more diversity within our field. I am really excited to build more connections with students to support them within their COMD journey. Please feel free to reach out with questions anytime!

Hi everyone, my name is Ruben. I am a first-year graduate student and I'm very excited to be a part of DEI. I'm happy to be able to represent diversity in our field as a gay Latino man and hope to help and support COMD students. I'm a very social and outgoing person. I am always willing to help so please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Hello everyone, I’m Christina Gallegos. I’m a transfer student and your CSULA NSSLHA Undergrad Community Service Representative. I’m excited to be a rep for our campus COMD community. I’m interested in communication disorders derived from traumatic brain injury and neurological conditions. Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Hello Everyone! My name is Lan-Anh Pham (I go by Lanny) and I am excited to be one of the Membership Representatives for CSULA’s chapter of NSSLHA. I was an elementary ESL teacher for about 10 years in Washington D.C. and now I am a Post-Bac student in the SLP certificate program. I’m super excited to dive into this new world! When I am not studying, I’m catching up on my multiple hobbies like karate, pottery, drawing, embroidery, or playing the uke.

Hello Everyone, My name is Ivonne Castaneda. I am a post- bacc student. I am 27 years old and I speak 3 languages (English, Spanish, and Portuguese). I am excited to be a part of NSSLHA. I hope everyone has an amazing spring semester!

Hey everyone! My name is Yesenia, this my first year at CSULA and I will be forming part of the 2023 NSSLHA as a finance representative. I’m looking forward to getting involved with the COMD community and learning every step of the way :)

Hello everyone! My name is Vanessa Jimenez and I am one of the Public Relations Rep. I'm in my last semester of undergrad and anxiously waiting to hear back on grad school applications. I am so excited to be part of NSSLHA this year and can’t wait to bring some ideas to this semester's event. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, hope you all have a great semester.

Hello! My name is Kat and I am honored to be serving as your NSSHLA Co-Secretary! I graduated at CSU Fullerton with a B.S. in Health Science and later changed my course to pursue Communication Disorders. I entered CSULA’s COMD Post-Bacc program and now, here I am! I was inspired by the work they do and wanted to have the same life-changing effect on others. When I am not in school, I love to hang out with my friends or stay at home and catch up on shows. Feel free to reach out and ask me any question

Hi, I’m Jessica, and I am a first-year graduate student. I look forward to contributing to the team as a co-treasurer. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns that may arise.

Hello, my name is Megan! I am a first-year graduate student and small business owner. I’m looking forward to connecting with everyone by providing a safe space for COMD students. My passions are as diverse and widespread as our field. Please feel free to reach out with questions anytime!

Hi I am Nick Ramirez! I am a first-year graduate student and a DEI liaison. I am a huge sports fan and I love music! (send me your best recommendations 🙂) I am a Latino male, so I am a unique voice in our field and hope to contribute unique ideas in our field and on our board. I am always willing to help, so feel free to email or text me about ANYTHING. Cheers to working together!

Hello Everyone! My name is Kristina, and I am one of your undergraduate social media representatives this year. I look forward to all the fun online events we have planned and staying connected with all our members through our Instagram. Looking for ways to get involved? There are many ways you can participate. Whether that is through being a research assistant, a peer mentor, or a NSSLHA representative, I’d be happy to share my experience. Pop by peer mentoring for a chat. I am excited to meet all of you!

Hi! My name is Ingrid Garcia and I just finished the post-bacc program in December 2022. I recently submitted all of my grad apps and I am anxious yet eager to see what’s in store for me. I look forward to working with all of you and if you have any questions, I am only an email away. ingridalondra95@gmail.com

Hello everyone! My name is Fernanda Ortega and I am so delighted to be one of the Fundraising Reps. I look forward to being a part of a community that is supportive, encouraging, and motivating. I am also eager to share ideas and learn from others. I am excited to meet everyone and be able to connect!

Hello everyone! My name is Haley Kim, and I am the undergraduate Finance Representative for 2023. My experience as an active member of NSSLHA has been very rewarding. I have met truly amazing professors, peers, and graduate students who have all been a part of my journey. I am beyond excited to be a representative again this year, and I look forward to meeting you all! I’m eager to work closely with the entire NSSLHA team for 2023 — helping other students discover NSSLHA and supporting them during their COMD journey. I wish everyone a fantastic semester!

Hello everyone! My name is Jonathan Hope. I am one of your undergraduate DEI representatives this year. I look forward to working alongside great individuals in order to assist our COMD students this year! I look forward to meeting everyone!