People | Page 5 | College of Applied Health Sciences

Oversen’s road to a Fulbright grant was paved by family

June 27, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Spanish was spoken in her childhood home

*When she completes her Fulbright stay, Amanda Oversen plans on applying for graduate school*

Amanda Oversen’s interest in linguistics has a very clear inspiration: her mom.

Oversen, a Speech and Hearing Science major who graduated in December 2021, was recently awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain. Her goal is to become a bilingual speech-language pathologist for elementary school-aged students.

That makes sense given her curiosity about languages, which she credits to her mother.

“My mom is from Honduras. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 16. And interestingly enough, she moved to the U.S. because she wanted to learn English. She also has this curiosity about language, which I think kind of rubbed off on me,” Oversen said.

While in Spain, Oversen plans to learn Spanish Sign Language and connect with the local deaf community. She also is interested in how to cultivate cultural-linguistic diversity in the American school system.

“I think when we learn a different language, it opens up just so many doors,” she said. “You’re able to understand people on a different level. I find that really fascinating. I think a lot of that had to do with my mom growing up bilingual, too.”

Oversen, who is from Highland Park, Ill., served as a teaching assistant in the Child Development Laboratory in SHS, which amplified her desire to work with children.

“I loved how curious kids were, and how everything was new to them, how the tiniest thing—something that comes so commonly to adults—was mind-blowing to kids,” she said. “I just love the fascination that they had with things that adults take for granted. I think it would just be cool to help kids progress, and find confidence in their voice, despite the fact that they may have a speech or a language disorder.”

Picking Spain for her Fulbright application was an easy choice. Spanish was spoken in her childhood home, and she studied abroad in southern Granada during her sophomore year. Teaching in Spain has a family connection as well, as Oversen’s brother went there to teach English.

This time, Oversen will be stationed in the Canary Islands.

“The Canary Islands was never really on my radar, so when I found out I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s going to be quite an experience.’ I’ve never lived on an island before.”

Since graduation, Oversen has been working as an assistant teacher at an early childhood education center in Northbrook, Ill. When she completes her Fulbright stay, she plans on applying for graduate school, with the University of Illinois on the list.

“I’ve made kind of a master list of graduate schools. Almost all the schools are in Illinois, and a few out-of-state options. But I think I’d like to stay close to home, whether that be in Champaign or in Chicago.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, Amanda Oversen, Fulbright

Chez Center hosts program to ready veterans for higher ed

Aug. 1, 2024 | Ethan Simmons

*Apsan Bishwokarma looks over notes in a Warrior-Scholar Project class, hosted at the Chez Veterans Center. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)*

While Adam Sherman Jr. sat for the two-hour bus ride from Chicago O’Hare Airport to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, a pit was forming in his stomach.

He’d spent six years in the Navy, stationed in Japan and California for three years apiece, sometimes working out at sea for six or 12 months at a time. But a few preparatory problem sets for the Warrior-Scholar Project’s academic boot camp had him stumped.

“I didn’t know if I’d be able to knock off the dust and the rust to get going in this program,” said Sherman, who grew up in New Jersey.

After spending four days in the camp absorbing astronomy and physics lectures from University of Illinois faculty at the Chez Veterans Center, Sherman’s first taste of higher education was going “really smooth,” he said.

“They broke it down in a way that’s really digestible, and they’re building it up in a way where it’s really fast-paced, but it’s comprehensible,” he said.

This July, 15 student Veterans took classes and teamed up on projects in the Chez Veterans Center, the University of Illinois’ one-stop shop for military-connected students. The center has hosted the nonprofit Warrior-Scholar Project for the three consecutive years.

The Warrior-Scholar Project, or WSP for short, takes place in college campuses across the country as an eight-day higher ed experience for military Veterans of all ages.

The WSP and Chez Veterans Center’s missions are aligned—both are dedicated to easing the transition of military-connected students back into education and civilian life.

“The premise of WSP is really about showing them they can do it, giving them the confidence they can leave the military and go to a place like the University of Illinois,” said Chez Veterans Center Director of Operations Andy Bender.

“I think what’s great for us in particular is (WSP) follows our mission. We’re all about the successful transition from the military into higher education—this is a good steppingstone for it. But it also gets a lot of our campus partners who may not have connections to the military to come and meet these students.”

WSP Education Programs Coordinator Rebecca Mills called Illinois’ Chez Veterans Center one of the program’s “top campus stakeholders,” for going “above and beyond” for student cohorts. A core component for both organizations: Showing Veterans that the talents they’ve built in the service are transferable to the classroom.

“It’s less the content—we know they’re capable, we know they have the experience. But how do they use the skills they developed in the military to be successful in higher ed?” Mills said.

Warrior-Scholar Project student-veterans chat during a tour of Hourglass Medical in Illinois Research Park, alongside Chez Veterans Center staff. — *A whopping 88 percent of Warrior-Scholar Project alumni have either obtained a college degree or are on track to complete one (Photo by Ethan Simmons)*

Some students, such as Sherman, enter the Warrior-Scholar Project with no college credits. Others, such as Sergio Perez Jr., a 26-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Oklahoma, used WSP to re-familiarize himself with the pace of university life.

When he left the service in October 2023, he “had one goal in mind: and that was to go back and finish my degree,” he said.

“For me, WSP was a ‘two birds with one stone’ type of deal, because University of Illinois was actually one of the schools I’m thinking about applying to in the future,” Perez added. “When I saw they still had openings for this, I thought, ‘You know what? I can do a quick campus tour while still self improving.’ So this has given me a better understanding of how this campus functions.”

A whopping 88 percent of Warrior-Scholar Project alumni have either obtained a college degree or are on track to complete one, according to their internal statistics. This year, Illinois also hosted WSP’s annual alumni conference, where bootcamp graduates return to network and listen to industry professionals with military connections.

A Veteran careers panel discussion included Mona Dexter, Comcast’s vice president of Military and Veteran Affairs; Michael Pett, Uber’s head of Military and Veteran Programs at Uber; Erica Jeffries Purdo, vice president of Strategy and Operations at Johnson & Johnson; and Tommy Jones, senior director of Military and Talent Programs at Walmart.

During the campus visit, the student cohort got to tour Research Park businesses such as Caterpillar’s Innovation Center and Hourglass Medical, a wearable technology company. Before they left campus, Chez staff brought them to a celebratory visit to the Colonnades Club in Memorial Stadium, itself a tribute to U. of I. veterans who fought in World War I.

“Illinois might be one of the best-kept secrets in higher ed; You walk into a building and learn about a Nobel prize winner who invented something you use every day,” Bender said. “We’ve had a couple people who’ve told us, ‘I wanna come here.’”

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.

Tags: Andy Bender, Chez Veterans Center, Warrior-Scholar Project

Skating career led to kinesiology studies for Weinstein

April 08, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

It was a circuitous route to the University of Illinois for Lindsay Weinstein

*Lindsay Weinstein recently found out she was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Illinois at Chicago*

At one time in her life, Lindsay Weinstein thought admitting she needed a physical therapist meant she was “weak.” Now she is studying to be one.

The four-time national medalist figure skater is now a kinesiology major in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois. Weinstein, 22, recently found out she was accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, one of the top DPT programs in the country.

It was a circuitous route to the University of Illinois for Weinstein, a Buffalo Grove, Ill., native who left home at the age of 15 to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for Figure Skating in Colorado Springs, Colo. But for Weinstein, the ice patch began long before that.

“A lot of parents from my hometown put their kids into beginner skating around the age of three,” Weinstein said. “Around that age, my older brother had best friends performing in the local ice show at the rink that would end up becoming my home rink. And my parents took me and my brother to go watch it. And I’m watching them on the ice, and I looked up at my mom, and I was, like, ‘I can do that. I know I can do that.’ And my mom replied, ‘Whatever.’”

Weinstein’s mother had been reluctant to sign her up because her brother had not enjoyed skating and “made my mom’s life miserable. Every time they got to the rink, he would start crying. She (said) ‘I’m not signing you up. I don’t want to go through that again.’”

But Weinstein did not relent.

“Being the three-year-old little menace that I was, every time we drove past the rink, I would say, ‘Well have you signed me up? Have you signed me up? Why haven’t you signed me up? I know I can do that. Why haven’t you signed me up?’ And I just kept insisting that I could do it.

And so finally, I would say it took four months before they finally did it. And I got on the ice, and it was just like true love.”

It might have been love, but it was not always easy, Weinstein admits.

“You learn from a very early age in figure skating that it’s not a sport that you can be in halfway,” she said. “It’s not a sport that’s like a hobby. I was skating at 6:20 a.m. before school, getting picked up at 7:30, being taken to school. I had a special schedule. So I’d get picked up from school at maybe like 2 p.m., three periods before anyone else. And I would go back to the rink and go skate. It was my life. I wasn’t doing normal things, like having sleepovers, like the other kids were.”

Starting at the tender age of six, Weinstein began competing in the U.S. Figure Skating Association (USFSA) events. She competed for several years as a singles competitor but found her true passion was in pairs skating. By May 2013, she had partnered with Jacob Simon, and in their first season together, they won the pewter medal (fourth place) in the Novice level at the 2014 U.S. Championships. After this competition, Weinstein and Simon were named to Team USA and sent on several international assignments to compete at the Junior level on behalf of the United States of America.

At the 2015 U.S. Championships, the team earned another pewter medal, this time at the Junior level. Around this time, U.S. Figure Skating approached Weinstein and Simon about moving to Colorado to train at a more elite facility. Her partner, a senior in high school, planned to either go to college or to Colorado to train.

“At 14, I was put in a position where ‘Do I want to do this for a living? Am I willing to give up a normal high school life, a normal kid life for this?’ And I made the decision, ‘Yes, it is worth it to me,” she said.

Weinstein and Simon—without their parents—moved to Colorado Springs to train at the Olympic Training Center. Skating was the top priority, not school.

“College wasn’t necessarily on my agenda. I wasn’t looking at colleges,” she said. “I wasn’t thinking about college. I was thinking about getting through high school, and I was thinking about my skating career.”

That career began to bloom. Coached by Dalilah Sappenfield and Drew Meekins, Weinstein and Simon won the junior silver medal at the 2016 U.S. Championships and were named to the U.S. team for the 2016 World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary. The pair finished ninth overall in Hungary.

“That was definitely the highlight of both of our careers,” she said. “The season following was a tad difficult due to being a female, you start going through body changes. There is a lot of emphases and talk about body and eating.”

Around that time is when Weinstein first thought about kinesiology, although she didn’t know what kinesiology was at the time.

“I would say that was when I got my first pique of interest in physical therapy,” she said. “I have never been someone who had been injured. I had known so many people who had been off the ice with injuries. And I just was super lucky. I had never been injured. (But) when I moved to Colorado, and we were training at a more elite level, I started to feel a lot of impact on my knees.”

Reluctantly during that successful 2016 season, Weinstein started seeing a physical therapist.

“I hid the fact that my knees hurt,” she said. “I hid the fact from my coach. I hid the fact from my parents. And then finally the pain became too much. My right knee was my landing knee, and I was just wincing every single time I landed.”

Friends and colleagues advised her to see a physical therapist, “but I thought going to a physical therapist meant I was weak. I did not want to see one, which is interesting because now I am starting to become a physical therapist.”

That year was a turning point in many ways for Weinstein.

She and Simon were under pressure to stay certain sizes, and Weinstein especially felt “under a microscope” as she went through puberty at age 16. The Olympics, she realized, likely would not happen. Then 2017 became a year of change as she and Simon broke up—both professionally and romantically—and she decided to leave Colorado, where she felt mistreated by Sappenfield. Weinstein was one of several skaters to file complaints against Sappenfield with the United States Center for SafeSport, leading to Sappenfield’s suspension in October 2021 pending further investigation.

Weinstein ended up moving to Aliso Viejo, Calif., to train and rediscover her love for figure skating. But she also discovered something else.

“It helped me realize as much as I love this and as much as I am the person I am today because of skating, I’m ready to move on to something else,” she said.

That something else was physical therapy. A physical therapist who was treating her in California recommended applying to San Diego State; her father was convinced she needed to apply to more than one school, and she chose the University of Illinois, her dad’s alma mater. She got into both and chose San Diego State, but the temptations of the Southern California lifestyle made it challenging to stay academically motivated, Weinstein admitted.

But that changed when she transferred to Illinois.

“I’ve made Dean’s List every semester here,” she said. “The choice to come here, in particular, had a lot to do with proximity because I had been away from home since 15. And when I was in college at San Diego, I just realized it was way harder to be away from home in college.”

Weinstein, who will graduate in May, knew graduate school was the next step, but also knew she didn’t want to leave Illinois again. There are seven accredited DPT programs in Illinois, four in the Chicago area, close to home. She applied to Rosalind Franklin, Midwestern University, UIC, and Northwestern University, with UIC her top choice.

“I’d love to be in a big city,” she said, explaining her decision. “I’d love to not have to make all new friends again because I had to do that for San Diego and then again coming here to Illinois. Yes, UIC was my top choice, and I did get in.”

Weinstein knows a long road remains to complete her doctorate. But she knew the kinesiology program itself was no cakewalk.

“I will never forget sitting at my very first lecture and the advisor at San Diego (State) coming in and looking around the room and saying, ‘Most of you will not get into grad school. Honestly, a good portion of this room will probably not even be a kinesiology major next semester. This is a really hard major, and you will not achieve your dreams.’ And every semester that I made it through, I would just thank my lucky stars that I made it through,” she said.

After she completes her DPT program, Weinstein definitely has an idea of which populations she’d like to work with.

“I got into this as an athlete. And if I had the ideal situation that could come about for me, I would love to be a PT for a sports team. I would love to go watch practices, learn why injuries are happening, learn how to prevent them in specific regards to one specific sport.”

If not athletes, she’ll turn to another passion: children.

“I have always loved kids. I was the girl, who at 10 years old, was being driven to babysit. I adore kids. And if I could somehow go into (pediatrics), that would be my other dream. I feel like it would be awesome as a PT to work with girls that are around the same age as I was when things started kind of getting messy. And I can be there as somewhat of a guide to let them know the rights and wrongs of when someone’s talking about their body and body image and eating and eating disorders and depression. I do think that I could definitely make a huge impact as a PT for all people, whether athletes or not.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, Lindsay Weinstein

SHS rising senior Jenna Pryor talks about her internship

July 06, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the College of Applied Health Sciences have the opportunity to do their internships in a variety of fields. Today, we speak with Jenna Pryor, who is a rising senior in the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, about her internship.

Q: What was your experience with The Autism Program?

A: I had many different experiences with The Autism Program, which is why I enjoyed it so much! We had observation hours watching an RBT interact with one of their clients. I also had hands-on experience working in the resource room making projects, communicating with other interns/clients, meeting new people, restocking the resource room and so much more! There was some slight research, we had to watch around 40 hours of training videos, those videos presented a great deal of information and expanded my knowledge for the internship and in general.

Q: How did you apply for the internship?

A: I initially heard about the internship through email from my consular. In the email, the application was attached. The instructions stated to fill out the application and then email it to the woman who conducts the interviews, Anne Hall. Later on I had an interview and then got offered the internship!

Q: What did you learn from the internship?

A: There are so many things that I have learned from this internship. I learned how to use different tools such as a laminator, different computer softwares, navigating a library database, answering phone calls, and creating books/stories. I also learned more about professionalism. Being in a resource room and interacting with different clients, interns, and coworkers in that setting gave me a better idea of how to behave as a professional. I also learned how amazing it is to step out of your comfort zone. I am not the most creative person, but I created and designed many different stories. It was great to work on my weaknesses and complete certain tasks that I do not have much experience on.

Q: What was your biggest take away from the experience?

A: My biggest takeaway from this experience is to give you all into everything that you do. I love helping and assisting others, and I got to use this strength of mine for many situations in this internship. It is important to give your all because not only are students/teachers/peers/parents/etc. using the resources that you make for them, a lot of individuals and families are counting on them. I’ve ran into situations where parents feel lost and need a sense of direction for their child. A diagnosis of autism for a parent who has a child with autism or the individual who has autism can be very overwhelming. I feel that The Autism Program helps ease the stress for these families. It is important to go above and beyond for all who come to us for resources/help.

Q: Is this internship closely related to the field you are hoping to work in?

A: Yes, this internship is closely related to the field I am hoping to work with. I am a speech and hearing science student with a speech-language pathology concentration. When I saw the RBT interact with the child during my observation sessions, this is a similar situation I could be experiencing in the future. Children who have autism also tend to see speech-language pathologists, it was great to learn more about autism. It will help me for my future career getting to know more about different disorders, as they could be my potential future clients.

Q: Would you like to share any other information that might be helpful for future SHS students?

A: If you have any opportunity to apply to an internship or get hands-on experience, do it! These are eye-opening experiences that help you expand your knowledge greatly. It also builds character and puts you in different situations. I have grown academically and emotionally from my first internship. These are experiences that you don’t get from your courses! Be sure to get to know your professors and utilize office hours. Building a relationship with your professors is very important. Professors love when students reach out for help or when students want to get to know them.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, Jenna Pryor

SHS alum Anjali Forber-Pratt named director of NIDILRR

May 24, 2021 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Forber-Pratt’s research is focused on disability identity, inclusion, disability sport, and work related to disability activism

*SHS alum Anjali Forber-Pratt named director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research*

Anjali Forber-Pratt, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Department of Speech and Hearing Science in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois, has been named as director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

Forber-Pratt, most recently an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, is an elite wheelchair racer, having won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. She also represented Team USA in London at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Her research is focused on disability identity, inclusion, disability sport, and work related to disability activism. Forber-Pratt holds a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Sciences, an M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology, and a Ph.D. in Human Resource Development, all from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A two-time Paralympian and medalist in the sport of wheelchair racing, Dr. Forber-Pratt has dedicated her life to helping others recognize their potential. Globally, she is involved with disability advocacy efforts related to access to employment, education and sports. She was honored with the inaugural American Psychological Association Citizen Psychologist Award for Advancing Disability as a Human Rights and Social Justice Issue Award in 2020 and was recognized by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education as a 2018 Emerging Scholar. In 2013, she was awarded the American Association of People with Disabilities’ prestigious Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award, given to emerging leaders within the national disability community. Also in 2013, she was named a Champion of Change by the White House and had an opportunity to participate in a roundtable discussion with President Obama about disability policy issues.

“I am extremely honored and humbled by this appointment as well as the opportunity to serve our country,” Forber-Pratt said in a statement. “From my U of I days, I distinctly remember being explicitly taught that we had an obligation as alums to make the world a better place and to be ambassadors, especially for the broader disability community. Dr. Timothy Nugent taught us that, and my coach Adam Bleakney and others reinforced that every day—it was always more than just our athletic journey or just our academic journey. Many of us have found our own unique ways to embody that—I believe serving as Director of the National Institute of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research is one way that I will continue to try to serve the broader disability community and educate others. I believe my collective training—with two degrees in Speech & Hearing Sciences as well as my PhD in education that taught me the analytic research skills—it truly is the combination of these degrees and U of I experiences and my own lived experiences as a proud disabled alum that position me well to transition into this role.”

Forber-Pratt served as principal investigator for research projects covering a range of disability issues, including training of special education teachers, experiences of students with disabilities at every education level, and identity development. She has authored 33 peer-reviewed journal articles and is the author or co-author of a number of textbook chapters.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, Anjalia Forber-Pratt

Former RST department head Joe Bannon dies at 89

April 02, 2021 | Peter Bannon

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our dear friend, mentor, leader, and colleague, Dr. Joe Bannon. Joe was the bedrock of our field. Joe’s legacy of devotion to students and the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism at the University of Illinois lives on. He was central in establishing an interdisciplinary leisure research program at the University of Illinois in the 1970s that led the way for other programs around the country. He was such an inspired and energetic leader as all his accomplishments demonstrate, but it was his friendship that we appreciated most and that we will all miss dearly. — Carla Santos, department head, Recreation, Sport and Tourism

*Joe Bannon, right of center in sweatshirt, was central in establishing an interdisciplinary leisure research program at the University of Illinois in the 1970s.*

Joseph (Joe) J. Bannon, 89, of Champaign passed away March 30, 2021, at his home in Champaign.

Joe was born on May 30, 1931, in Glens Falls, N.Y., to parents Leo and Elizabeth Bannon. Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Ann, and his grandson, Keegan. Joe is survived by his two sons, Joseph Jr., and Peter, and their spouses, Jill and Amy. Joe was blessed with eight grandchildren: Kelsey, Keegan, Erin, Sophie, Regan, Doug, Leo, and Rory, and one great granddaughter, Keegan Rose.

Joe was a loving and devoted father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, boss, mentor, and friend. He was a wonderful role model for his family and was fiercely loyal to those he loved. When Joe was not busy working or spending time with family and friends, he enjoyed running, golf, and spending his summers with his family at his mountain retreat in upstate New York.

Professionally, Dr. Joseph J. Bannon graduated Cum Laude from Ithaca College in 1957. In 1958, he was awarded an assistantship at the University of Illinois in the Department of Park and Recreation to pursue his master of science degree. Upon graduation, he assumed the position of Superintendent of Recreation in Leonia, N.J. In 1963, he became the General Superintendent of the Topeka, Kansas, Recreation Commission where he served until 1966. In 1966, he returned to the University of Illinois to become the Chief of the Office of Recreation and Park Resources. During his tenure as Chief, he completed his Ph.D. in 1971. In 1973, he assumed the headship of the Department of Leisure Studies.

Dr. Bannon was a prolific writer, having authored or co‑authored nine books, contributed a number of chapters to edited books, and wrote more than 50 journal and magazine articles. He is a co-founding editor of the Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. Dr. Bannon was a founding member of The Academy of Leisure Sciences and the American Academy of Park and Recreation Association. He was presented numerous awards in his lifetime for his decades-long service to the park and recreation profession. In 2001, Dr. Bannon was honored with the Pugsley Award, the most distinguished award for park and recreation conservation given in the profession.

Dr. Bannon consulted extensively throughout the U.S. and Japan, China, Korea, South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and Peru. In 1988, he spent an extended period of time in China consulting with universities as well as city officials in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suchow about fitness and recreation programs.

Joe developed the newsletter Management Strategy in 1977. The publication was dedicated to disseminating management information to parks and recreation professionals throughout the world. This led to the formation of the Sagamore Publishing Company, which he built and worked at full time, acquiring and developing titles after retiring from the University of Illinois alongside his son, Peter Bannon. Joe continued to maintain his close ties to the recreation field he loved throughout his life, advising and mentoring countless young professionals in the field.

He will be greatly missed by all of us.

Share on social

Tags: Carla Santos, Joe Bannon

MSHA alum Zaid Ahmed talks about his COVID-19 contact tracing work

Dec. 06, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Students in the Master of Science in Health Administration program in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois have been asked by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Dept. to apply the skills they are learning as contact tracers. Periodically, we will speak with them about how they are doing in these roles. Today, we speak with Zaid Ahmed.

Q: Is the work you’re doing for CUPHD different than what you were trained for in the MSHA program?

A: I would say that the work I did for CUPHD wasn’t really different from the MSHA, per se. Contact tracing is essentially just calling infected cases and close contacts to gather information on their symptoms, job status, family information etc. It isn’t really like anything I learned in my MSHA program but I know that my role is a small part of the study of epidemiology. I’m not applying anything from my academics but I am just a part of the epidemiological system, if that makes sense.

Q: What field/industry were you hoping to work in upon graduation?

A: I was hoping to work in the data/technology/analytics side of healthcare upon graduation.

Q: What kinds of questions do you ask in the work you’re currently doing?

A: I ask people who they’ve come into contact with, if their family members have any chronic disease that makes them vulnerable to COVID-19, basic information like address and birthdays, and whether or not they’ve experienced any symptoms.

Q: Do you find people are willing to respond truthfully?

A: People have been pretty truthful with me.

Q: Any frustrations that people are not listening to the health guidelines?

A: There have been several people who were frustrated with their two-week quarantine and some people have admitted to breaking it by going out somewhere. It is frustrating, but I can’t police them 24/7.

Q: Do people you know ask you for advice on dealing with COVID-19?

A: People have not asked me for COVID advice but they have asked where the cases are concentrated so they know to avoid those locations.

Q: What are you missing out on because of the pandemic, in terms of working face-to-face with people?

A: I’m missing out on the opportunity to see my fellow MSHA students and the ability to meet my professors in person.

Q: What ways has COVID-19 affected you? Have you traveled? Have you been able to go home, see family?

A: COVID made my dad lose his job although he’s managed to find another job. I haven’t been able to see my cousins in a long time. I have been spending these past few months at home with family so it hasn’t been all bad.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, MHA

Wellness Ambassador Rachel Brokenshire talks about COVID and campus

Sept. 22, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Wellness ambassadors support the University of Illinois’ COVID-19 educational compliance efforts by providing health resources to the university community. The College of Applied Health Sciences is proud to boast several students who are participating in the Wellness Ambassador program. Periodically, we’ll speak with a student about what they have encountered in their role. Today, it’s Rachel Brokenshire, a student in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health.

Q: What kind of training did you receive to become a Wellness Ambassador?

A: For training, all of us (the Wellness Ambassadors) met with our supervisors over Zoom a week before school started to discuss more about the position. We talked about how things on campus would look different, how to be positive influences while at school, and overall what our tasks would be as a Wellness Ambassador. We also have biweekly training sessions to discuss things like being prepared for interviews, how to post on social media, and different ideas we can bring to life on campus.

Q: What kind of activities are you performing while working?

A: While we are working, there a variety of activities that can be done throughout our shifts. Our main task since the beginning of the school year has been packing “Wellness Kits” that includes a lot of resources about testing, the flu shot, and fun goodies (sunglasses, masks, hand sanitizer). We go out around campus and hand out these bags to students. We have also been to testing sites to pass out fun temporary Illinois tattoos. As Wellness Ambassadors, we are striving to bring more joy and positivity to campus during these confusing times.

Q: How many hours do you work a week?

A: I work between 6-10 hours a week.

Q: Where are you stationed?

A: Before our shifts, we either meet at the Illini Union or at a testing site that we are assigned to. It really depends what our tasks are for that day.

Q: What challenges have you faced in doing the job?

A: I think sometimes encountering people who may not want to wear a mask or seeing very large groups of people in a certain area can be a bit hard to see. As Wellness Ambassadors, our job is to not “police” students around and tell them what to do. We are simply being role models for our peers and when some students do not want to comply, it is a little disheartening. Other than that, the job is very rewarding in itself and I am so proud to be helping my college during a time like this.

Q: What kind of reactions do you get from students or faculty when you encounter them?

A: Mostly, students and staff are so excited that we are handing out free stuff. It is amazing to see others around us happy and thankful for what we are doing. That part of the job is my favorite and knowing that other students are seeing us make a difference on campus is great.

Q: What’s the toughest part of the job?

A: I think the toughest part of the job, as mentioned before, is seeing some people not wanting to comply with the rules on campus. As Wellness Ambassadors, it was hard having to read that email from Chancellor Jones when most of the students here are doing their part to stay on campus this semester. The actions of a few students may cost us the opportunity to stay here for the whole semester and we are trying our best to not let that happen. After the email, we realized we needed to work harder to promote social distancing and wearing a mask while in public, and that is exactly what we did. I am so proud of my fellow Wellness Ambassadors and the amazing work we are doing this year.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, COVID-19, Rachel Brokenshire

Wellness Ambassador Emily Grayburn talks about COVID and campus

Sept. 14, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Wellness ambassadors support the University of Illinois’ COVID-19 educational compliance efforts by providing health resources to the university community. The College of Applied Health Sciences is proud to boast several students who are participating in the Wellness Ambassador program. Periodically, we’ll speak with a student about what they have encountered in their role. Today, it’s Emily Grayburn, a student in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health.

Q: What kind of training did you receive to become a Wellness Ambassador?

A: I participated in a four-hour-long, Zoom-based training along with the other Wellness Ambassadors. During this meeting, we got to speak with members of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District as well as Dr. Robert Parker from McKinley Health Center. We also learned what we would be doing during our shift and how to approach people politely. We also need to attend bi-weekly trainings to update our job duties, if need be.

Q: What kind of activities are you performing while working?

A: While working, I typically walk around campus with one to two other Wellness Ambassadors and hand out COVID-19 wellness kits to people walking by. These kits include a map of testing locations, a card with information about the COVID Wellness Answer Center, a button or sticker, a flyer containing information about flu shots, and either a mask, sunglasses, or a hand sanitizer.

Q: How many hours do you work a week?

A: I work 8-10 hours a week.

Q: Where are you stationed?

A: I am usually stationed at (Illinois Street Residence) Halls, (Student Dining and Residential Programs Building), or walking around campus.

Q: What challenges have you faced in doing the job?

A: Some challenges that I have faced while doing this job would be dealing with the small amount of students who aren’t compliant with wearing a mask.

Q: What kind of reactions do you get from students or faculty when you encounter them?

A: For the most part, students are very excited about receiving free goodies from the university. They are very thankful that we are making a positive impact on our community.

Q: What’s the toughest part of the job?

A: The toughest part of my job would be confronting individuals who do not want to wear their masks. Although it is a small percentage of students, we still need to sometimes tell these people that they need to keep their mask on whenever they are outside of their room to keep others safe and increase the chances of us being able to stay on campus.

Share on social

Tags: alumni, COVID-19, Emily Grayburn

A Few Minutes With … Joe Cross

Feb. 06, 2020 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

College of Applied Health Sciences media relations specialist Vince Lara speaks with Joe Cross, a former Illinois basketball player who went on to get his PhD in education policy, organization and leadership at Illinois, about his new role as an academic skills specialist at AHS.

Listen to the podcast

Transcript

VINCE LARA: This is Vince Lara at the College of Applied Sciences at the University of Illinois. Today, I speak with Joe Cross, a former Illini basketball player who will not forget his PhD in education policy organization and leadership in Illinois, about his new role as academic skills specialist at AHS.

Joe, tell me about what led you to Illinois as a student.

JOE CROSS: Sure. Back in 1998, I was, I was playing basketball at Florida International University, down in Miami, Florida. And I had previous communications with the coach then here, Lon Kruger, who’s now the head coach at Oklahoma University.

And so had communications with him and his coaching staff. A good friend of mine, Robert McCullum, who’s his assistant coach, who’s now at FAMU, know they’re good friends of the family. He had heard about what I was doing at FIU. When he was at Florida, he had recruited me there.

When he got to the University of Illinois, he just thought it would be a good fit for me to be back at home. And I reached out to him, my family. And we thought it would be a better fit than where I was at, although I was having a great time in Miami. I knew here would put me in a position to be successful, not so much on the court, as far as going to the NBA or something like that, but does in my off the court, my career, things like that.

And so he recruited me to come in 1998, the fall, really the spring, start of the spring semester of 99, really. And that’s when I started, and that’s what brought me to Illinois, just the relationships that I had with that coaching staff, and my desire to play at the high level division 1 basketball.

And so, I like, sport management was my major there at FIU, that I was looking to go into. And I knew they had a sport major, sport management major here. It was leisure studies, really, at the time. The program was called leisure studies.

so it was like a– it was really a easy fit. I knew the majority of the players, Sergio McClain, Marcus Griffin, Robert Archibald, Brian Cook. You know, I kind of knew all those guys, Victor

And it was just really, I felt like they were my family already. So that’s kind of how I got here to Illinois. And I’ve been here ever since.

VINCE LARA: Wow. You mentioned your undergrad in sport management. I’m wondering, you transition to working with students. I wonder why you decided to do that.

JOE CROSS: Well, like most students, you know, after that undergrad degree with sport management, I just knew I had to you know, most of my jobs in high school were internships, working at, our summer jobs where we have YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, that type of thing.

And so when I got done with undergrad, I knew I was going to somehow transition into it. Really, Terry Cole, the former assistant athletic director, he had done a lot of work at the Boys and Girls Club, Boys and Girls Club here. And he was just like, Joe, I think this would be a awesome fit.

And I did some summer internships or experiences with Boys and Girls Club, as a community service stuff, and things like that. However, my the director of Academic Services at the time was Tom, who was my academic advisor too, I saw what he did as an academic advisor, and for the athletic department. And I was just, I was in awe of just the type of impact that he was making with all the athletes, you know, and how he just mentored. Because he played here at the University of Illinois at the time as well during the early 90s.

And so I saw him, how he mentors students and in the classroom, but not only in the classroom, in their sports, basketball, or track, or whatever, wrestling, and how he was just a mentor to them. And so I wanted to do– although Boys and Girls Club was great, and I wanted to be a mentor for the kids in the community, and the YMCA and things like that.

Joe DeLucia is over the parks Champaign Parks and Rec here. And so I was good friends with him, and did some work with him, community work with him. And so I had different avenues I could go into. But this piece that working with the student athletes, and being a sort of counselor, advisor, mentor, that really intrigued me.

And so I really talked to Tim Heichel about that. And he really started me on the path to being an academic advisor, and with DIA, Intercollegiate Athletics. And I actually loved my experiences there. And I did that for seven years. I was over football for a few years, working with under Ron Zook and his staff.

And so I got some really the experiences working with a variety of teams, softball and baseball and track and gymnastics and those types of areas. And I had an awesome time with that.

Well that led me over to the College of Education, where I was an academic advisor, and also working on Ph.D work, there in EPO, Education Policy Organization leadership.

And so a good friend of my, mentor, Dr. James Anderson, and Dr. Chris and Dr. Bill Trent and those guys is really who have been mentors since I’ve been here the University of Illinois, and they got me over there working in advising. And I finished the PhD program over there, which in turn kind of brought me full circle. I did a postdoc in IGB Institute for Genomic Biology, and on their outreach team there, working with the community and getting the community K through 12 students interested in STEM fields and things like that, and worked working with a guy, Bruce Fouke, Dr. Bruce Fouke over at IGB.

And once this position opened up in applied sciences, working with the IGB program, I knew Mannie Jackson. I know him. And there’s been an alum of the university, and knew his vision for the program. And once I found out who was over it, and April Carter, just the relationship, really just, you know, just, you know, it was just a good fit for me. Again, so I was really, really appreciative.

VINCE LARA: You mentioned, iLeap. And you know, the campus in general, UIUC, it’s one of the most diverse in the country, might be the most diverse. And I wonder, what does the university do well to attract students of color, in your opinion?

JOE CROSS: Sure. I mean, what attracts things of color is the faculty of color, is the people in leadership positions of color. Reg, Dr. Reggie Austin– and I mean, I’ve known him for quite some time. So when you can see people that look like you, talk like you, act like you, walk like you, think like you, process, you know, things like you, problem solve like you, can relate to your situation, you get drawn in.

It’s not any rocket science. You know, historically black colleges and universities get the numbers that they get, and they attract the people who they attract, is because they can say hey, you know, I come from where you come from. I think like you think. I understand how you process things. And this is how I made it out of my situation, or this is how I’m able to further my situation, and whether if it’s a great situation.

And so U of I does an awesome job in this, especially with our students. We see we see that because they can come right into our university and have a family right away, and to see people interact with people that come from similar backgrounds. And I think applied sciences sizes does a great job in doing that, and showing our students that balance and diversity.

VINCE LARA: Now what do you see your role at iLeap being?

JOE CROSS: Sure. Our basic role is to help students be successful in their academic experiences here while in college and at the university. I mean that’s what Mannie L. Jackson want this to be, where he had a place to come. And even though maybe were the university didn’t look all like him.

He was one of very few, and the only, you know, one of the only black athletes on his team, basketball players, he saw, he found a home, you know, at this college. And he talks very highly of about college. And so that’s what I want to make every student that’s a first generation student does.

You know, African-American, Latino, you know, those types of students, whether you have underrepresented in whatever area, I want to make sure that you’re comfortable in this space whenever you come in, that this is a safe haven for you, that you can get the resources that you need, get the help that you need, the assistance that you need, in order to continue to be here at the university.

We have so many students that are going through so many different things. They just need to know I can come to a place where I feel safe, I feel respected, and I know that I can get the answer to my question, or they can lead me directly to the answer to my questions.

VINCE LARA: Now as a former athlete yourself, you were in leisure sciences, as you said, what they called AHS back then. And AHS has a reputation for drawing a lot of students a lot of student athletes, Reggie Corbin, for example, Oluwole Betiku, right, guys who have spoken really highly of the RST program in general. What do you think is the pipeline that helps that, keep that going?

JOE CROSS: Well, their main interest is sport. And so that was the common interest. As a kid, I didn’t grow up knowing about sport management. Oh, I want to go into sport management as a major. No, I didn’t. I didn’t know about the major at all. You know, not until I got to college and I started messing around with different genetics, and then I found out– I went, wait, what is sport management? What is it all about?

And so I think that they’re attractive because it’s right up their alley. I mean, anytime that you can talk, if your sports minded person, and you’re talking about sports the majority of the time– you know, but a lot of people didn’t understand. You, you know, sport management deals a lot with– the management is the business yeah part of it.

And that’s really intriguing to a lot of students, because sports is a business, especially now that we’re moving into an age where see that these are, you know, maybe able to get paid for their likeness, you know, pretty soon. I mean, it’s a business to them. They have to market themselves.

VINCE LARA: For sure.

JOE CROSS: And sport management is a wonderful, gives you the background, wonderful background and intellect into that area. So I’m even, now that know that the, sports has gone into a different era, into a different genre, I think that this next generation of student will even look more favorably upon sport management. Because you know, it’s a business.

VINCE LARA: Now what do you see, what’s your role post graduation for these students? Like, how much can you follow them, and what does that outreach look like?

JOE CROSS: Sure. I mean, of course you want to stay with the students as much as you can, to help them into their career. My position right now is just to, in this area, just to make sure that they have the best experience possible while they’re here in college, with our students, whether they’re the athletes, not athletes, because we do have non-athletes in the iLeap program.

It’s really just to, you know, for first and second year students, to make sure that they have a good footing, a good foundation, you know, while they’re here.

Of course, yes, I’ve only been here for a short time. And I want to make those relationships and build those relationships, where you know, whoever is working with the Bulls, or whoever’s working with the Blues, you know, Dallas, or whoever’s working with whomever over at Indy, the Colts or whatever, we can still stay in that communication. Or if they’re in the medical field, there’s some type of way.

Or they’re out with the community, solving some pretty big health issues, that I could be working with them as well.

I just got here. So I would love to broaden that, and help those students when they graduate.

VINCE LARA: What do you, you’ve said you, you’ve only been here a short time. But what’s your favorite part of the job so far?

JOE CROSS: The interaction with the students.

VINCE LARA: Yeah.

JOE CROSS: Oh man. I mean, I come from– I miss that. For the two last two years, I was able to publish some writings and things like that while I was working on my postdoc. But I had little to no interaction with the students.

And that’s immediately what I found like, man, that makes my day. On students just, you build that relationship with students. And they can come in and out of your office. The door is always open. And they just drop by. Just, you know, just saying hello. You know, just so many students, it’s the first day of classes today.

So many students have come by, just say what’s up, Joe? How are you doing? Happy New Year. This is what I did during break. You know, so, so much fun. Or I’m so glad to be back. I hated being at home. I’m so glad to be back in my own apartment, you know, in my own bed, you know, and stuff like that. Just hearing those stories, and they’re ready for the semester to start.

You know, that’s really what I really enjoy.

VINCE LARA: My thanks to today’s guest, Joe Cross. For more episodes of A Few Minutes With, please go to iHeart Radio, Spotify, iTunes, by Buzzsprout, and other places where you can hear podcasts, and search A Few Minutes With.

Tags: A Few Minutes With, Joe Cross, Podcast

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Related news

Transcript

Related news