Meet Our Graduates
Guillermo Blanco, BS Kinesiology
Guillermo begins graduate studies this fall at the University of Louisville, where he will pursue a master’s degree in exercise physiology. He will focus his studies on strength and conditioning, and hopes to build a career with a college football team. In 2010-2011, Guillermo completed an internship as an assistant to the strength coach for the Fighting Illini football team and he’s been a personal trainer for Campus Recreation for two years. During his undergraduate career, Guillermo was a scholar in the Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program (I-LEAP). A Dean’s List honoree, he was active in the Kinesiology Student Association and the Pre-Physical Therapy Club, and held officer positions in Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.
Hanna Olson, BS Speech and Hearing Science—Audiology
Hanna will pursue a Doctor of Audiology degree at Indiana University and hopes to practice as a certified audiologist in a clinic or hospital setting. Hanna served as an undergraduate teaching assistant to Dr. Stephen Notaro of the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health for a course on medical ethics. In 2011-2012, she was president of the Applied Health Sciences Student Council, on which she had served for three years. An active member of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association and honors fraternity Phi Eta Sigma, Hanna was selected to be the student speaker for the 2012 Convocation. She was named to the Senior 100 Honorary by the University of Illinois Alumni Association and Student Alumni Ambassadors, and graduated a Bronze Tablet Scholar.
Emily Mailey, PhD Kinesiology
Emily will join the faculty of Kansas State University in the fall, as an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology. A graduate assistant in Dr. Edward McAuley’s Exercise Psychology Lab, her research has focused on promoting physical activity to improve health and quality of life. She designed and implemented a program for working mothers, and hopes to continue working with this population in her future research. Emily’s doctoral research was supported by a Coca-Cola Company Doctoral Student Grant on Behavior Research from the American College of Sports Medicine. She received a 2012 Student Research Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine and the 2011 Laura J. Huelster Award from the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health.
Vytautas Kunickas, BS Interdisciplinary Health
Vito begins work toward his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree in June at Midwestern University. He completed a 60-hour internship at the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services this semester and has shadowed physical therapists at four other facilities. As an undergraduate, he was a member of the Pre-Physical Therapy Club and served as coordinator for Volunteer Illini Projects’ Health Needs initiative. A Dean’s List honoree, Vito was a member of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In 2011, he received the Transfer Student Award from the Interdisciplinary Health program in recognition of academic achievement and participation in the College of Applied Health Sciences.
Jazmine McKinney, BS Community Health
Jazmine will pursue a Master of Public Health degree focused on global health through Tulane University’s Peace Corps Masters International program. Her undergraduate degree focused on health planning and administration. She was a scholar in the Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program and was active in the Illini Union Board Cross-Cultural Committee, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the Pre-Physical Therapy Club, 100 Strong, and Chi Alpha Epsilon Honors Fraternity. She also served as the Community Service Chair for Women of Color. Jazmine will take with her a gift for writing and performing spoken word poetry, which she has shared with members of the AHS community in appearances at Mom’s Day festivities.
Nisar Qureshi, BS Recreation, Sport and Tourism
Nisar begins his law studies at Illinois next fall after gaining early admission to the College of Law through the Illinois Law Early Action Program, or iLEAP. Fewer than 20 students on the Urbana-Champaign campus receive this honor based on academic record, ACT score, extracurricular activities, analytical writing ability, and performance in an interview. Concurrent with his law studies, Nisar plans to complete the requirements for a Master of Business Administration degree. Having focused on sport management as an undergraduate, he hopes to specialize in the legal aspects of athletics. He worked as a student manager for the University of Illinois men’s basketball team and is active in the College of Law Sports and Entertainment Law Society. An Edmund J. James Scholar and Dean’s List honoree, Nisar served on the James Scholar Advisory Board.
Jamie Sklena, BS Kinesiology
Jamie discovered a love for medicine and science as an undergraduate in kinesiology. She will work as an athletic trainer next year while applying for entrance to medical school. Her goal is to specialize in orthopedics or pediatrics. As an Edmund J. James Scholar in the research track, Jamie investigated both inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of a new sideline concussion assessment tool that was developed by a PhD student. During her time at Illinois, Jamie played intramural sports and served as a chemistry tutor. A Dean’s List honoree, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority.
Bailey Sone, BS Speech and Hearing Science—Speech-Language Pathology
Bailey is staying with us for another two years while she completes her master’s degree in speech-language pathology. She plans to work in an early childhood school setting after completing her second degree. She worked with young children as a teacher’s aide for the last three summers and was a research assistant to Dr. Torrey Loucks. She also volunteered at Carle Auditory Oral School, Crisis Nursery, and Bradley Learning Center. A Dean’s List honoree, Bailey participated in the Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program and was an Edmund J. James Scholar. She will serve as a graduate mentor for the College of Applied Health Sciences for the Office of Minority Student Affairs.
Benjamin Salentine, MS Community Health
Ben will undertake a 10-week internship in Washington, DC, this summer, sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities. He has earned two master’s degrees in community health at Illinois—one in rehabilitation and another in health policy and administration—and hopes to make a positive impact within both areas in his career. Ultimately, he would like to join the executive team of a hospital as well as explore health care consulting. Ben’s research addresses the effects of wheeled mobility devices on self-reported measures of community participation, quality of life, and self-perception. He gained experience in his chosen field through internships and practicums with Manitowoc County Human Services in Wisconsin, the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services, and the Champaign County Nursing Home.