Meet your 2024-2025 Executive Board!
PRESIDENT
Name: Leena Gulvady
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Major: Senior, Sociology, Pre-Dental
Favorite Thing About APPHO: I joined APPHO my freshman year still unsure about what field I wanted to go in. Having the opportunity to hear from different speakers solidified my choice to pursue dentistry. I have also met the most amazing and driven people in this club and want to continue fostering this community.
VICE PRESIDENT
Name: Andrew Kawwa
Hometown: Redlands, CA
Major: Senior, Public Health, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: APPHO was the first organization I joined as a freshman and it has been extremely influential and critical to my success in college in a lot of ways. I have met mentors, succeeded in classes, gotten awesome resources, and added so much to my resume because of APPHO. At the same time, the people I’ve met in APPHO have made college honestly worth it for me and have made the past few years so much fun.
VICE PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Name: Katya Pushka
Hometown: Park City, UT
Major: Junior, Biology Major, Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience Minor, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: APPHO was the first club I joined in the beginning of my freshman year at SDSU and I immediately met so many friends that shared the same interests and academic goals as me. Through APPHO, I have been able to gain valuable experiences and grow as a pre-med student!
SECRETARY
Name: Claire Westberg
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Major: Junior, Public Health, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: I came into SDSU undeclared, so APPHO truly helped me find my passion for healthcare. The people I’ve met here are the most supportive, genuine, and fun individuals. This organization has overall solidified that becoming a physician is the best career for me while also giving me countless opportunities for professional and personal growth!
TREASURER
Name: Sophia Valdez
Hometown: Sacrament0, CA
Major: Junior, Public Health Major, Women’s Studies Minor, Pre-PA
Favorite Thing About APPHO: The connections I’ve made! This org has helped me form such strong, close relationships with cool, genuine, like minded people. Freshman year I had no idea what I wanted to do, but with joining APPHO I now have full confidence in my future career choice. Also, the socials are lit.
PHILANTHROPY OFFICER
Name: Penelope Dalton
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT
Major: Junior, Chemistry with an Emphasis in Biochemistry, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: The friends I’ve made and professional opportunities I’ve gotten! I’ve grown so much as a person and as an applicant, and have made some of my best friends through this club.
SOCIAL OFFICER
Name: Josh Brennan
Hometown: Castle Rock, CO
Major: Junior, Biology Major, Spanish Minor, Pre-Dental
Favorite Thing About APPHO: The social aspect and the way I have made so many friends with people who have the same interests as me. It is awesome to have friends in my classes who I can study with and also see the same friends at an APPHO event! With that, I love the networking aspect and being guided by other friends on my pre-health journey as everyone’s journey here aligns in many ways.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OFFICER
Name: Jaka Starman
Hometown: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Major: Senior, Cell and Molecular Biology, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: A bunch of like minded people who support each other!! Someone is always there to answer your question or help you find the answer about navigating the future in healthcare. Also the tons of different ways to give back to the community, make yourself a better candidate for grad school and meet other people while doing it.
ACADEMICS OFFICER
Name: Tayla Belikoff
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Major: Junior, Psychology with an Emphasis in Neuroscience, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: The amazing, intelligent, beautiful people!!! I have met so many of my favorite people through this club. I have experienced such a great amount of encouragement and support from the people I’ve met in this club. Being Pre-Health can be hard because there can be a lot of toxic mentalities around competing with your peers, but this club does not have that 🙂
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
Name: Celine Thomassian
Hometown: Burbank, CA
Major: Junior, Biology, Pre-Med
Favorite Thing About APPHO: The people! I have met some of my closest friends and made some of my most incredible memories here at SDSU through APPHO. Building extremely strong bonds with people who are going through the same or similar process as you is so beneficial emotionally, academically, and socially. I am so so grateful for the experiences APPHO provides all with incredible people by my side.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Name: Paul DeStefano
Hometown: Conifer, CO
Major: Junior, Cell and Molecular Biology, Pre-PA
Favorite Thing About APPHO: My favorite part about APPHO is our tight knit/caring community of pre-health scholars who come together with one common goal: to Build Passionate Healthcare Providers. I can’t wait to assist in the development of everyone in APPHO regardless of major, interests, and pre-health community. Please reach out if you need anything!