Meet Our Exec!
Zachary Blatman: Co-President
Hey! My name is Zach Blatman, and I am a fourth year Health Sciences student serving as the Co-President of Smiling Over Sickness for the 2018-2019 academic year. I was initially inspired to join SOS in first year due to our club’s long-standing commitment to helping sick children smile. I have really appreciated the meaningful opportunity to volunteer in the Ronald McDonald House subcommittee for the last three years, as it has allowed me to create a home away from home for families with children experiencing health challenges. As incoming SOS Co-President, I look forward to spreading my passion and enthusiasm with fellow volunteers and families again this year!
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Hannah Byles: Co-President
Hello! My name is Hannah and I am a fourth year student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program specializing in Child Health. I am thrilled to be serving as co-president for Smiling Over Sickness this year! SOS has had a special place in my heart since my first year at McMaster. I was a member of Smiles Squad for two years before becoming one of the coordinators for Smiles Squad this past year. Having such a large role with this club is a truly rewarding experience as the work we do helps to improve the lives of sick children and their families, bringing smiles to the faces of those who deserve it most. I am so excited to help this club grow and improve throughout the upcoming year and I cannot wait to work with the passionate team of SOS executive members and volunteers.
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Lara Murphy: Vice President External
Hello! My name is Lara, and I'm a third year Health Sciences student specializing in Global Health, who loves baking, exploring Hamilton, travelling, and meeting new people. I first became involved in Smiling Over Sickness in my first year as a member of Smile Squad, and was lucky enough to be one of the Fundraising Coordinators last year. I am so excited to continue my involvement this year as the Vice President External! Being part of this club has truly been one of my favourite parts of university thus far, and it has been so rewarding knowing our efforts within SOS have a positive impact on the lives of sick children and their families. I am so proud to be part of this dedicated community, and would love to see you show your support at our events!
Matthew Faltyn:
Smiles Squad Coordinator Hey there! I am a second-year student in the Arts and Science program. Some of my favorite things to do include playing soccer, watching Game of Thrones, and eating pizza! I have been a member of Smiles Squad for the past year; I had the opportunity to plan and run events for children in the Hamilton community with a passionate team of volunteers. I am very excited to continue volunteering within Smiling Over Sickness as this year’s Smiles Squad Coordinator. Being a member of this club is an amazing experience; the work we do helps brings smiles to the faces of sick children and their families!
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Sallie Han: Vice President Internal
Hello! My name is Sallie and I am in my 3rd year in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program. I got involved with SOS back in first year as a Smile Squad member, then joined the exec team last year as Dance Marathon Coordinator, and I am thrilled to be part of the team once again this year as Vice President Internal. SOS holds a special place in my heart - not only is it the first club I joined at McMaster, but it truly stands out to me as a club that has a strong vision to bring joy to the children in the Hamilton community, and this is so evident in the passionate exec members and volunteers we get to work with. I am so excited to see what this upcoming year has in store for us!
Stephanie Dephoure:
Smiles Squad Coordinator Hi! My name is Stephanie and I am a third year student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program who loves dogs, baking and dancing. I first became involved with SOS as a Smiles Squad Member, where I worked with a group of students to organize and run community outreach events both within Hamilton and the McMaster community. Last year I was fortunate enough to be one of the Smiles Squad Coordinators, and I am very excited to continue this role for the 2018-2019 year! I am looking forward to working with a group of amazing, dedicated volunteers this year to organize successful events and bring smiles to sick children and their families!
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Sandra Lee:
McMaster Children's Hospital Volunteer Coordinator I first joined SOS as a group leader for the Hospital Arts and Crafts Subcommittee, planning fun crafts for patients at the McMaster Children’s Hospital. I was touched, not only by the commitment and enthusiasm shown by my team members, but the club as a whole, in the numerous events and fundraisers they run throughout the year. Now in my third year of the Health Sciences program, I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this community once again - this time as the Hospital Volunteer Coordinator. As the Coordinator, I hope to discuss and implement many new ideas from members of the Arts and Crafts subcommittee, with the goal of reaching a greater number of children at the hospital and making our crafts more accessible to all. I can’t wait to see what this year will bring!
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Yuanxin Xue:
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Kaylyssa Philip:
Ronald McDonald House Volunteer Coordinator Hello! My name is Kaylyssa and I am a fourth year student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. So a little bit about me, three of my favourite things include figure skating, travelling and eating pizza! For the past two years I have been a part of the Ronald McDonald House subcommittee where I was given the amazing opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families with sick children. Therefore, I am thrilled that I am able to continue with my work as this year’s RMH Volunteer Coordinator. I am looking forward to working with a team of wonderful volunteers and can’t wait for another great year with SOS!
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Akachukwu Nwakoby:
Fundraising Coordinator Hi! My name is Aka and I’m currently in my 3rd year of Health Sciences! Some of my favourite things to do are watching anime, working out and having deep talks with friends! Last year, I had the wonderful opportunity of joining SOS as a member of Smiles Squad! While volunteering on Smiles Squad, I was inspired by the dedication my peers on SOS showed for running events for children in the Hamilton community. This year, I am excited to serve as the SOS Fundraising Coordinator alongside Stephanie! As Fundraising Coordinators, we will organize fundraisers like Locks for Love and Shave for a Cure for our partner organizations Camp Trillium and Angel Hair for Kids. We wish to do our very best in helping children suffering from sickness and we hope to see your support at our events! :)
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Stephanie Kay:
Fundraising Coordinator Hello! My name is Stephanie and I am a third year Health Sciences student, specializing in Child Health. In my spare time, I love going hiking, trying new drinks at William’s and singing with the McMaster choir. Last year, I was fortunate enough to be a part of Smile Squad, and I am so excited to continue my involvement with SOS this year as one of the Fundraising Coordinators with Aka! Together we will be organizing the fundraising initiatives Locks for Love and Shave for a Cure, which raise money for our partner organizations Camp Trillium and Angel Hair for Kids. Smiling Over Sickness has truly been one of the most rewarding parts of university thus far, and knowing that our efforts have a positive impact on the lives of sick children and their families is incredibly heartwarming. I am so proud to be part of this close knit and hardworking community, and I hope to see you all come out to support our events!
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Wren Puckett:
Dance Marathon Coordinator Hey there! My name is Wren and I am in my fourth year of Honours Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour with a minor in Anthropology. You can often find me stressing over my thesis in PC lobby or sipping coffee at Paisley’s. This past year I was a subcommittee member for Dance Marathon and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my third year. I am so thrilled to be part of the Smiling Over Sickness team as one of the Dance Marathon Coordinators. I am so excited to be working with Olivia to plan an amazing fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network. I can’t wait to see what SOS has in store for this year and I hope that you join us in spreading smiles and joy to many children!
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Olivia Kohlmaier:
Dance Marathon Coordinator Hi there! My name is Olivia and I am in my fifth year of the Life Sciences Co-op program here Mac. I am so excited to be one of the Dance Marathon Sub-committee Coordinators this year, alongside my friend Wren! I was apart of the Dance Marathon Sub-committee last year, and tremendously enjoyed the experience of volunteering with SOS, as well as making new friends, and seeing what an important role the club has in the Hamilton Community. Working to make the lives of those in need just a little bit better, and bringing smiles to the faces of those we touch, I am reminded of what this club is all for, which makes this experience that much more meaningful, and makes it an honour to be apart of. It’s been great year volunteering with SOS so far, I’m looking forward to the next year ahead!
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Jordan Chin:
Promotions/Communications Coordinator Hello! My name’s Jordan and I’m a second year student in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. You can usually finding me drinking London Fogs, drawing or baking. In my first year, I was a member of the McMaster Children’s Hospital volunteer team which gave me the opportunity to see how art can help everyone. It was amazing to see how the crafts allowed the children to completely forget their illnesses and just be kids. As the one of the Communications/Promotions Coordinators, I hope to inspire others to get involved with this club and experience moments like that one.
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