Meet the board members
President:
Karla Ballesteros [ Political Science/ Pre-Law Class of 2016 ] [email protected] |
Karla Ballesteros is a second year undergraduate student at Mount St. Mary's College pursuing a degree in Political Science with an emphasis in Pre-Law. Karla is the founder and president of Mount St. Mary's UNICEF club. She has an unwavering determination and conviction for creating necessary change. She is a humanitarian at heart with a fighting spirit. Karla is also a member of the Mount St. Mary's National Society of Leadership and Success. She is also a Mentor for commuting students and an assistant coach for the Girls on the Run program. She also advocates on behalf of the Coalition of Humane immigrant rights in Los Angeles and the California Dream Network. Karla's passion and perseverance is unrelenting as she has completed two full L.A marathons and is in the midst of training for her third marathon. When she is not busy advocating you can catch her binge watching a new T.V series on Netflix.
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Vice President:
Melissa Hernandez [Healthcare Policy/Political Science Class of 2015] [email protected] |
Melissa Hernandez joins MSMC UNICEF as the Vice President. Melissa is a proud product of the California Community Colleges system, as she successfully transferred to The Mount in the Fall of 2013. A current senior at Mount St. Mary’s College she is eagerly finishing her degrees in Political Science and Health Care Policy. Melissa is a strong advocate of women’s right and women’s marginalization in the political arena. Melissa has participated and is an ambassador for the Public Leadership Educational Network (PLEN) which offers premier leadership and public policy programs for college women to prepare them to lead. During her summer she par took in Council Woman Nury Martinez’s Ready for Women Fellowship, where she along three other fellows learned about leaderships skills to inspire women to run for elected office. She spent her time in City Hall learning hands on about who and what influence local public policy and where women fit into that equation. Melissa hopes that her experiences will help motivate and inspire more women to seek a place in the political sphere. When she is not at school she is a P/T Financial Case Manager, for a community based organization (CBO) whose focus is to provide quality health and social services as well as advocacy to ensure quality of life in the immigrant communities surrounding the Greater Los Angeles region. During her short time with the CBO she has become the key person in bridging the financial literacy gap that permeates the Latino Communities of El Sereno, Cypress Park, and Glassell Park. Melissa has a pretty full schedule but in her seldom spare time, she enjoys bike rides, black iced coffee, a good live band and Thai food.
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Treasurer:
Elisa Oronico [ Nursing Class of 2016 ] [email protected] |
Elisa Marie Oronico is a junior nursing major and is in the class of 2016 at Mount St. Mary’s College. She is the Treasurer of The Mount’s newly founded UNICEF club. Elisa is currently part of NSLS and volunteers from time to time at Whittier Presbyterian Hospital. Her ambition is to become a nurse practitioner at St. Jude’s Hospital in Fullerton, Orange County. Although she is still finding her niche in the nursing world, Elisa aims to specialize in providing holistic care to her future patients. Her ultimate goal is to emphasize the “care” in Healthcare so that a more patient centered practice is established.
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Secretary:
Harronisha Calice [ Political Science/ Pre-Law Class of 2016 ] [email protected] |
A native from New Orleans, LA; Harronisha Calice is a third year transfer student. Studying political science with a minor in pre-law. She is the Secretary of the UNICEF club and has worked on many humanitarian campaigns with organizations such as the southern poverty law center and planned parenthood's action fund. Her goal as Secretary is to be champion for the organization and creating visibility for the organization and for children who are in need.
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Event Planner:
Sandra Juson [ Healthcare Policy/ Bio Class of 2015 ] |
Sandra remains an active leader with her community and participates in the Los Angeles area. In MSMC, she is a member of The National Society of Leadership and Success, and a member of Women in Science and Health (WISH). In her community, she volunteers with the River Rally and participates in the American Heart Association Health Walk. Additionally, Sandra interns with UCLA Health and does special projects with the hospital, and interns with the UCLA Center for World Health at the David Geffen School of Medicine. She hopes to become a health policy analyst raising awareness with public health response systems, or to research into environmental issues dealing with chronic disease outbreak.
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Event Planner:
Gabrielle Duhina [ Accounting/ Marketing Class of 2017 ] [email protected] |
I am currently a second year undergraduate student in Mount St. Mary's Business Department emphasizing in Marketing. I hope to one day pursue a career of my own in the fashion industry as a business woman with a vast knowledge in marketing and creativity. I am a compassionate advocate for motivation, especially among the youth. I enjoy being that extra push of energy for kids who are in need of a voice. In my community, I volunteer for several events including AIDS Walk, West Hollywood Book Fairs, and MDA walks. I have worked with a few humanitarian campaigns, UNICEF being one of the campaigns that I've been a part of for 3 years and glad to say I am part of the campaign once again on campus here at the Mount, this year being my 4th. I currently hold the title of Miss Teen California for Teen Achievement. As a reigning Queen I am a leader and speaker for motivation and infinite happiness in the young. I believe that with endless motivation, you can do anything in this world. Waking up with positive energy each day helps you step forward ready to take on the obstacles each day has in store for you.
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Social Media Representative: Karen Diaz [ Global Politics Class of 2016 ] [email protected] |
Karen Diaz is a junior at Mount St Mary’s College. She eldest child of two, and the first generation college student in her family. Karen is double majoring in global politics and political science. Her aspiration is to one day work for the FBI, she will be pursuing her masters in Counterterrorism. Karen has volunteered at Valley Presbyterian Hospital, where she worked closely with nurses and doctors in the emergency room. Soon after she began to volunteer, she realized the medical field was not her forte, she began to volunteer with Operation Gratitude in Van Nuys, California making packages for soldiers in the Middle East. After becoming close with army veterans, she knew that she wanted to work with the government in making not a change locally but hopefully making a much global change. Also her parents influenced her since they were always very vocal about their native countries politics, she wanted to be another voice that can potentially make change and not only talk about change. This is why she now wants to work closely with UNICEF, in order to see less and less children suffer and have these children have a better opportunity a future. She is a strong believer that people who want the to succeed should be granted the opportunity to succeed.
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Historian:
Anne Marie Reyes [ Nursing Class of 2015 ] [email protected] |
Anne Marie Reyes is currently a senior in the undergraduate program at Mount St. Mary's College. She is pursuing a career in Nursing and hopes to work in the Emergency Department. Her inspiration takes its roots from volunteering during summers at Glenoaks Convalescent Hospital where her mother employed as Nurse. Her ultimate goal of becoming a Nurse Practitioner and opening her own clinical site for the community. Before reaching her ultimate goal, she plans to become active in humanitarian works abroad to help the rural communities in need and hope to work with the Peace Corps as Nurse Practitioner. Anne Marie is also currently in the process of becoming inducted into Mount St. Mary's Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success in which she hopes to gain more leadership skills and take initiative of new skills to implement into society. As part of the UNICEF club, Anne Marie Reyes holds the position of Historian, along with her fellow member Karen, in which she helps in raising awareness through social media and raising funds for the UNICEF organization that aids in supporting children in need of basic human needs such as Education, Safety, and Shelter. In her spare time, she loves to thrive in simple pleasure that is blessed upon the western world such as riding her bicycle around the community, attending live concerts, and spending time at small cafes. Anne Marie believes that these are some of the aspects that create a holistic quality life and hope to educate and provide resources through the UNICEF club for those in need so that quality of life is improved for all.
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