Click on names below to go directly to that person
Jack Aulbach
ORGANIZATIONS: Pre-PA Society, Honors Student Trustees
MAJOR: Biology
MINOR: Chemistry
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: Upon graduating in December 2023 with my B.S. in Biology, I will be attending Northeast Ohio Medical University to obtain my Master's of Medical Science in Anesthesia. Currently working as a Patient Care Assistant at St. Elizabeth Youngstown, I have a passion for serving the Youngstown and Mahoning Valley by providing patient-centered care. After becoming a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant, I plan to return to the Youngstown and Mahoning Valley area to continue to provide patient-centered care in the operating room. As a teaching assistant for the Sokolov Honors College, I have found immense joy in educating. I plan to educate future anesthetists while being active in the legislation surrounding my profession.
PERSONAL GOALS: More than anything, I would like to continue to participate in community service initiatives in the Youngstown and Mahoning Valley area. Making a difference in the community has given me fulfillment during my undergraduate education. I plan to travel the world by running every World Marathon Major and continue to lead an active lifestyle. Another aspiration of mine is to create my very own brand of scrubs.
NOMINATED BY: Pre-Physician Assistant Society
Nicholas Bezzarro
ORGANIZATIONS: Student Government Association, Sigma Chi Fraternity
MAJOR: Information Technology
MINOR: Business Administration
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: My primary professional goal is to graduate successfully, a culmination of years of dedication. I'm committed to academic excellence, maintaining a strong GPA, and engaging in enriching my extracurricular activities. Post-graduation, I aim to pursue a fulfilling career in my passion, staying updated with industry trends. I'll build a robust professional network, seeking mentors and like-minded peers. My educational goals extend beyond a degree, focusing on a successful, impactful career.
PERSONAL GOALS: My overarching aspiration is to be a leader of leaders. Graduating college, achieving academic excellence, and gaining Cisco and CompTIA certifications are pivotal. These achievements set the stage for leadership in cybersecurity. Homeownership represents financial stability crucial for leadership, and owning a Corgi reflects personal fulfillment. My journey centers on holistic growth in education, career, finance, and meaningful connections.
NOMINATED BY: Student Government Association
Dylan Brown
ORGANIZATIONS: Theta Chi Fraternity, Beta Gamma Sigma, Order of Omega, Phi Kappa Phi, National Society of Leadership and Success, Presidential Mentor, WCBA Business Leaders, Greek Campus Life, Interfraternity Council
MAJOR: Finance
MINOR: Entrepreneurship
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: Upon graduation, my current goal is to begin graduate school in pursuit of an MBA. Expanding my knowledge is important to success in the professional workplace, and graduate school is my next step. After graduating from graduate school, I will pursue a career in the finance industry. Being a financial professional and working with businesses and individuals to further improve their financial situations has always been an interest of mine. Later in my life I plan on fulfilling my entrepreneurial goals. I have always desired to create and manage a business that positively affects the local community. The reason I am deciding to wait until later to pursue my entrepreneurial dreams is that I will have more experience and be able to be more successful at transferring knowledge.
PERSONAL GOALS: I will highlight two goals of mine. First, achieving happiness mentally, emotionally, and spiritually is a priority in my life. The ability to acquire and maintain complete happiness in every life category contributes to an overall healthy and enjoyable life in both the long and short term. Second, maintaining a high scholastic achievement throughout my college career is a strong personal goal. The process consists of daily dedication to continual learning and never-ending persistence.
NOMINATED BY: Theta Chi Fraternity
Brooklyn Bunish
ORGANIZATIONS: Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association (OCMEA), Marching Band
MAJOR: Social Work
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: I want to become a social worker and find a position within Child Protective Services or within a hospital working with children.
PERSONAL GOALS: I would like to become a licensed social worker, help children find their forever homes, and guide them through life.
NOMINATED BY: Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association (OCMEA)
Madison Cauffield
ORGANIZATIONS: Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority, Panhellenic Council, Women’s Soccer Club
MAJOR: Criminal Justice
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: Professionally, I would like to become a Police Officer and eventually earn a role as a K9 Officer.
PERSONAL GOALS: To have a happy and successful career while enjoying life.
NOMINATED BY: Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority
Robert DiDomenico
ORGANIZATIONS: Italian Club, YSUscape, and The Bible Talks
MAJOR: Information Technology
MINOR: Interdisciplinary Game Studies
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: My professional goal is to get a job in IT after graduation in December 2023.
PERSONAL GOALS: My personal goal is to keep being active in campus activities to take full advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to me at YSU.
NOMINATED BY: Italian Club
Caleb Ellison
ORGANIZATIONS: American Sign Language Club, Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society, JambarTV, The Penguin Rundown, Orientation Leader with First Year Student Services, American Sign Language tutor with the Language Learning Resource Center
MAJOR: Telecommunications Sports Broadcasting track
MINOR: Social Media Campaigns
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: After graduating I want to continue working in the broadcasting industry as a producer and director. My ultimate goal in broadcasting is to be a director for a major sports network.
PERSONAL GOALS: My personal goals include making connections with everyone I meet and wanting to unify everyone together. Everyone has something valuable to contribute to their community and I want to magnify that value for everyone to see.
NOMINATED BY: American Sign Language Club
Rayvin Gorrell
ORGANIZATIONS: YSUnity, Student Government Association, Poetry Club, Anthropology Colloquium, National Alliance on Mental Illness
MAJOR: Anthropology
MINOR: Women and Gender Studies
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: My ultimate goal is to get my PhD in Mesoamerican archaeology. I like to immerse myself in other cultures and learn all that I can. I have a special interest in the Maya civilization due to one of my wonderful professors here at YSU, Dr. Matt O'Mansky. Through the university I have had the opportunity to go on a dig in the Bahamas and am returning there this December. I plan on attending a field school in Belize or Guatemala in the summer to gain more experience. My dream would be to end up teaching at a university to instill wisdom and empowerment in the next generation.
PERSONAL GOALS: I am a passionate advocate for underrepresented people. I plan to continue my work with the LGBTQ+ community, people facing food/housing insecurity, and children with literacy challenges after I graduate. I want to break down barriers to create more equity in the world. I am president of the LGBTQ+ club, I work with the food pantry on campus, and I pen pal with children that need to improve their writing skills. I connect with the community as part of these roles and give people the resources that they need. This volunteerism has made lasting effects on me and I plan to continue with it as time passes.
NOMINATED BY: YSUnity
Alannah Hetzel
ORGANIZATIONS: Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, Panhellenic Council, Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, Sokolov Honors College, and Just Dance Club
MAJOR: Intervention Specialist K-12 (Mild to Moderate Disability)
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: After my time at Youngstown State, I plan on continuing my education in graduate school for Occupational Therapy. Following Occupational Therapy school I plan on assisting students with disabilities. In addition to being a pull out resource for students with disabilities, I also hope to advocate for reform in Ohio laws on special education. I have always wanted to create change and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. I am excited to be able to make change in my community using my degree.
PERSONAL GOALS: During my time here at YSU, I have loved being in my sorority and coaching speech and debate for my alma mater. In the future I hope to continue to cultivate a love for public speaking and help speech and debate in whatever way possible. I also want to continue to be an avid supporter of Alpha Xi Delta and the Panhellenic community that I love so much. Overall, I think my biggest goal is to help others.
NOMINATED BY: Alpha Xi Delta Sorority
Annabelle Himes
ORGANIZATIONS: Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization (SNLO), Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society, Presidential Mentors, President's Residence Hall Leaders, WCBA Student Leadership Council, Sokolov Honors College
MAJOR: Human Resource Management
MINOR: Entrepreneurship
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: After graduating with my BSBA, I plan to continue my education at Youngstown State and pursue my MBA. Additionally, I plan to continue managing my small business, Heroes and Tiaras.
PERSONAL GOALS: After college, I plan to continue being an advocate for special needs individuals and their families. Through my small business, my goal is to continue creating programs and activities for special needs families in the Youngstown area. I have learned that special needs individuals have limited programs and activities to connect, learn, and interact outside of school. My dream is to create a place where these families can come together and interact in a sensory adaptive place.
NOMINATED BY: Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization (SNLO)
Jenna Knowles
ORGANIZATIONS: YSUnity, African and Caribbean Student Union, Crochet Circle, YSU Student Conduct Board, STEM Leadership Society, Sokolov Honors College, Forensic Science Club, International Student Organization
MAJOR: Forensics & Biology
MINOR: Psychology & Chemistry
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: When it comes to my profession, my end goal is to explore multiple areas of genomics. Genomics and all studies revolving around genetics has always been incredibly fascinating to me, and I’m interested in multiple fields of studies within the profession. I would love to have the ability to try out multiple sectors. When I graduate from YSU, I am hoping to obtain a master's degree and possibly even a PhD in Molecular Biology, or Biochemistry to allow me to move around within the field.
PERSONAL GOALS: All of my personal goals stem from my desire to grow as a person. That is why in my time at YSU, I have pushed myself into difficult classes, organization leadership, and a plethora of new experiences. I really feel like I have utilized my time not just to gain academic knowledge but to figure out who I am, what I’m good at, and how that can be used to build up those around me. I want to bring that into my future and strive to never stagnate. In my last year, I want to focus on using what I have learned to help my fellow students especially my African and Caribbean Student Union members.
NOMINATED BY: African and Caribbean Student Union
David Kos
ORGANIZATIONS: Sigma Chi Fraternity, Order of Omega Greek Honor Society, Sokolov Honors College
MAJOR: Criminal Justice
MINOR: Sociology
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: I plan on attending law school following my graduation from YSU in the Spring. Once in law school, I plan on working incredibly hard to graduate at the top of my class and to secure an internship with the state of Ohio while in school. Following graduation, I want to become a criminal prosecutor for the state of Ohio. I would like to focus my attention on the juvenile division as I got the chance to work with the Mahoning County Prosecutor's office over the summer. I was able to see firsthand how rough some children have it and I would like to make a difference for the youth victims as well as the youth offenders and get them back on the right foot.
PERSONAL GOALS: Throughout my life, I want to be able to develop a deeply loving family. I want to be able to be there for my wife and kids through whatever hardships they may encounter and always be able to be relied upon. I want to be able to provide my future wife with an amazing life and have a deep sense of accomplishment once we get older. I also want to keep in touch with my friends from YSU in my life as they have provided me with the best three years of my life, and I want to always be there for them through the rest of our lives. In addition to my family and friends, I aspire to make a great impact within my community. I have seen many family members contribute to my community and that deep sense of accomplishment is something I strive to achieve for myself.
NOMINATED BY: Sigma Chi Fraternity
Hailey Lewis
ORGANIZATIONS: Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, WCBA Business Leaders, Society for Human Resource Management
MAJOR: Human Resources
MINOR: Marketing
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: The professional goals that I wish to achieve before graduation are to continue to network at events and make connections that can be useful in the future. Following graduation, I will take a year to continue my studies and take the Law School Admissions Test. After taking this exam, I plan to further my education at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Familiarizing myself with the legal system and acquiring the skills necessary for becoming a successful labor and employment attorney will allow me the opportunity to reach my goals. After graduating law school, I will receive my Juris Doctor Degree and pass the BAR exam. From there, I wish to use the connections that I have built to find a position in a law firm that works directly with a company so that I can practice employment law.
PERSONAL GOALS: A personal goal that I set in place prior to attending Youngstown State University was to create strong relationships that last a lifetime. Since joining Greek life, I have been exposed to hundreds of amazing individuals whom I will be able to call my friends even after graduation. Being that this is my last year, I wish to continue to make connections and help raise money for my chapter's philanthropy. Zeta Tau Alpha has provided me with several great opportunities, and I have grown as a person because of it. Another personal goal I have is to be proactive rather than reactive. I have struggled in the past by letting external conditions affect myself mentally and emotionally. I want to work towards persevering through any obstacles that I may face and turn them into a lesson.
NOMINATED BY: Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority
Caylee Mackey
ORGANIZATIONS: Pre-Physician Assistant Society
MAJOR: Biology
MINOR: Chemistry & Wellness
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: To graduate Youngstown State University with degree in Biology and pursue a master’s program in Physician Assistant studies.
PERSONAL GOALS: My personal goals are to continue to support Youngstown State Women's Cross Country and Track programs. For the rest of my time at YSU, I look forward to making memories with my teammates and to grow as an individual. Along with this, I'm excited to promote the pre-physician assistant club and create new opportunities for aspiring pre-physician assistant students.
NOMINATED BY: Pre-Physician Assistant Society
Sofia Myers
ORGANIZATIONS: Student Government Association, Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society, Ethics Bowl, Model United Nations
MAJOR: Political Science and Communications
MINOR: Marketing
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: As I am in my Junior year, I hope to stay on track with my studies and graduate with a high GPA and Honors Distinction. I aspire to use my double majors to start applying to graduate schools for a track in Public Administration. In the future, I would like to work with nonprofit organizations and governmental administration. This year, I hope to use my networking skills to gain a company internship over the summer to further my experience and knowledge about the workplace and to increase my personal skillset. Within my extracurriculars, I hope to use my position as the Vice President for the Student Life Committee for the Student Government Association to better connect and involve students on campus and make YSU a better place.
PERSONAL GOALS: I hope to travel to multiple different countries to gain more experience and immerse myself in another culture. Developing my leadership skills through my extracurriculars and part-time job in retail is also very important to me. Every day, I practice time management and mindfulness in order to become a better person overall. Being appreciative of my life and the opportunities I have worked for. Overall, I hope to continue my path of hard work, being kind, and loving life. I also hope to run a marathon one day in the future!
NOMINATED BY: Student Government Association
Hayden Nottingham
ORGANIZATIONS: Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association (OCMEA), YSU Marching Pride
MAJOR: Music Education
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: After finishing out my last two years of college, I plan to pursue my masters in some form of music education or to pursue a career at a local high school as a band director and music educator.
PERSONAL GOALS: Personally, I want to continue to experience more musical opportunities around the area and just to continue to grow as a person with the people around me.
NOMINATED BY: Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association (OCMEA)
Michael Prather
ORGANIZATIONS: Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
MAJOR: Electrical Engineering
MINOR: Mathematics
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: I intend to become a senior level electrical engineer at a manufacturing company, and one day I will hopefully open my own company
PERSONAL GOALS: I hope to remain in the area and help give back to my community, as well as provide better access to technology to those who may not have access on their own.
NOMINATED BY: Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity
Marshall Sarisky
ORGANIZATIONS: American Society of Civil Engineers
MAJOR: Civil Engineering
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: I’d like to go into the industry of structural engineering specifically in the heavy industry and manufacturing sector.
PERSONAL GOALS: I’d like to become more efficient in my time management in an effort to explore and improve personal skills.
NOMINATED BY: American Society of Civil Engineers
Halle Slater
ORGANIZATIONS: Women's Volleyball Club, Club Sports Executive Board, Delight Ministries
MAJOR: Middle Childhood Education: Concentration Math/Science
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: Upon graduation in the spring, my goal is to secure a job as a seventh or eighth-grade science teacher in a district where I can also coach volleyball. I would love to further my education so that in the next ten years I can also teach and work with students in a college setting.
PERSONAL GOALS: In the next five years, I would love to move to the mountains in Tennessee with my dog. My dream would be to get married and migrate from just working in the classroom to serving as a director for a Christian summer camp.
NOMINATED BY: Women's Volleyball Club
Cassandra Snopik
ORGANIZATIONS: The National Society of Leadership and Success, Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization, American Society of Civil Engineers, Concrete Canoe Team, Beta Gamma Sigma, Sokolov Honors College, WCBA Business Leaders
MAJOR: Business Administration, Nonprofit Leadership
MINOR: Public Health, Accounting
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: After graduating, I plan on starting my master’s degree at Youngstown State. I’ll be pursuing an MBA in Healthcare Administration with hopes to start a career as a Hospital Administrator. I have a passion for nonprofit work, which has driven me to choose this career path. My dream place of employment is Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
PERSONAL GOALS: I love to travel and aim to explore five countries in the next five years, including Greece, Romania, and Peru. Eventually, I hope to start a family and be an active part of my community, offering help to those in need. My other goals include learning Spanish and how to cook.
NOMINATED BY: The National Society of Leadership and Success
Mya Snyder
ORGANIZATIONS: Students in Fashion & Interiors, Student Nonprofit Leadership Organization, YSU Book Club
MAJOR: Marketing
MINOR: Fashion & Interiors
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: It's a dream of mine to work in the fashion industry, specifically, designing clothing. I am very passionate about fashion, the creation of goods, and sustainability within the industry. As a creative, I find that I enjoy working in abstracts rather than absolutes. I hope to work in an atmosphere that fosters and encourages creativity. Upon graduating this semester, I am considering the possibility of pursuing a fashion focused graduate degree, possibly from Kent State. I’ll likely work a job in the marketing field for about a year or so, then relocate in pursuit of a career in the fashion industry.
PERSONAL GOALS: While attending YSU, I decided to start my own small business, ‘Sew What? Sew This!’. I am a self-taught sewist with a passion for fashion! I source discarded textiles and upcycle them into reworked goods. One of my favorite designs would be what I call, ‘Bummin Bags’, which are small adjustable crossbody bags slightly similar to a fanny pack. I also create clothing, tote bags, hats, and various other accessories. I sell my pieces at local vendors markets and am currently working on developing a website in order to sell my pieces to a wider market. I plan on continuing to create, as creating wearable art is my passion. I would love to develop a name for myself as a designer in the fashion industry, creating clothing and accessories as well as working in the industry someday. As for now, I'm dedicating more time to furthering my small business than ever before, and I'm so excited to see what the future holds!
NOMINATED BY: Students in Fashion and Interiors
Declan Tighe
ORGANIZATIONS: Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, Ultimate Frisbee Club
MAJOR: Physics/Astronomy
MINOR: Mathematics
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: My goals after undergrad are to go to graduate school in pursuit of a doctorate in Astrophysics. I then plan to use that to get a job in the space industry to push humanity's limits even further.
PERSONAL GOALS: My personal goals are just to be a positive influence on every person I meet and be a person that everyone feels comfortable being around. I would also like to be a figure that others can look up to and be proud that they know me or have met me.
NOMINATED BY: Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity
Della Toliver
ORGANIZATIONS: Black Student Union, Student Nurses Association
MAJOR: Nursing
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: I am currently a Junior in the RN-BSN program here at YSU. I am the Vice-President of Black Student Union and Treasurer of the Student Nursing Association. I absolutely love the nursing profession and I am excited to see what is in store for me in the future. After graduation, the goal is to work in a hospital, but I am keeping an open mind on which specialty that I would like to work in. Currently there is not a whole lot of women of color in the nursing profession and medicine overall, and I would like to see that change. My goal is to be able to provide culturally competent care. I want to be able to integrate holistic and traditional medicine.
PERSONAL GOALS: Growing up in a multicultural household I learned the importance and the value of understanding and embracing the culture(s) that you are a part of and the communities around you. I understand as a woman of color that sometimes life can be difficult when people do not understand your culture or where you come from. One of my many goals in life is to help bridge the gap in communities by having a more inclusive environment. It does not matter what you look like, where you are from, the language you speak, or any of the amazing qualities that make up who you are, you deserve love, kindness, and the freedom to express yourself. As a black woman pursuing a career in healthcare, I hope I can bring that mindset of connection, compassion, and cultural appreciation to the community.
NOMINATED BY: Student Nursing Association & Black Student Union
Gabriella Vass-Gal
ORGANIZATIONS: PPGA (Planned Parenthood Generation Action), History Club, Phi Alpha Theta, ASL Club, Alpha Lambda Delta, National Society of Leadership and Success
MAJOR: History
MINOR: Applied History
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: I plan on attending graduate school for a Masters in Library Science to become a librarian with a focus in archival work and local history. I hope to be able to assist my community in keeping their history alive and well through documenting and programming as an active librarian and resident of the area.
PERSONAL GOALS: I look forward to pursuing my master’s degree in a lively town. I have loved engaging in service activities at YSU and hope to continue that in other communities. I also have hobbies including being active in nature, crocheting, and hanging out with friends and am excited to continue to pursue those when I have free time.
NOMINATED BY: Planned Parenthood Generation Action
Alexandria Wonner
ORGANIZATIONS: Delta Zeta Sorority, YSU Student Nurses Association, YSU Cheerleading, IGNITE Ambassador
MAJOR: Nursing
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: As many of us here at Youngstown State, the goal is to graduate with the degree we are here to achieve. For me, the main goal when looking at my future is to become a nurse, but becoming a nurse is so much more. I plan to become the best nurse I can be and be the best patient advocate I can for all of my patients. Through nursing school, I have learned the importance of standing up for my patients and being their support system through the tough challenges in life. I think it is important to understand my patient's needs and execute my nursing skills well.
PERSONAL GOALS: For the rest of my time here at Youngstown State, my personal goals include being a leader and role model here on campus. I have always found that being a strong leader is important whether it is through my sorority or cheerleading or simply just to my fellow peers on campus I feel that being a strong leader is a good characteristic to have. Personally, I hope to form as many bonds and make as many impacts on people's lives. One of the biggest things I feel is important is to always smile. By smiling it helps people feel welcomed and noticed. I have always been known to smile and I feel a simple smile can make the greatest impact on people.
NOMINATED BY: Delta Zeta Sorority