Hey all! Our board applications will be up soon and we encourage you to apply! ASB board is great for many reasons and each board member has taken the time to tell you about their position and what they’ve learned from serving on board this year:
Co-Directors
Aloha! I’m Ruth, one of ASB’s Co-Directors! I’ve been on board for 3 years & being a member of the ASB Planning Board has helped me learn and develop interpersonal and leadership skills in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Throughout my time on board, I have held the positions of Organizational Fundraising Chair and Co-Director and I have gained many valuable experiences and skills that I can apply to all aspects of my everyday life! As a Co-Director this year, I have the opportunity to exercise leadership in a way that not many students do on this campus; I manage & lead a team of 18 students, oversee all ASB operations, communicate ASB’s mission and vision to motivate board members, engage in team problem solving and decision making, mentor and coach boardies in projects, and enforce organizational policies. I also contribute in troubleshooting for problems and providing guidance and supporting boardies when unexpected changes arise. Overall, my experience on ASB board has been nothing short of challenging and rewarding. This experience has definitely shaped and changed my life for the better, I can’t imagine how I could have become the person I am today without ASB! :)
Hello there! My name is Leslie Drane and I’m one of the co-directors for Alternative Spring Break! This year serving as co-director has enhanced numerous job skills, such as public speaking. Running board meetings and talking in front of large groups is no longer a fear of mine; I feel confident presenting in class rooms and during interviews. Being co-director has not only strengthened my ability to work as a team, but has also solidified my leadership skills. Being able to oversee and be a large component of a student-run, non-profit organization is something few people can say they have ever done. Adding this to my resume has really made me stand out in graduate school applications and has made me a stronger candidate for any future profession that involves public speaking, strong organization skills, leadership, and the necessity to remain calm in sometimes stressful situations. In my opinion, the skills I learned from being co-director are transferable to virtually every future career.
Educational Outreach
Hey hey!! My name is Emily Litchfield, and I am one of the Educational Outreach Chairs on ASB Board. I’m very thankful to have this position and to be a part of ASB board. The role of this position is to facilitate the educational experience of ASB participants; we help increase awareness, discussion, and action around various social justice issues! As a result of this position, I’ve improved my organizational skills through planning multiple local volunteer events and large events for ASB participants. In addition, I’ve broadened my perspectives through getting to know an amazing group of individuals! Being part of ASB board has been an extremely rewarding experience.
Hooola! My name is Farah Ali and I am the other Educational Outreach chair. Educational outreach is a fun and rewarding position as it allows ASB to bring volunteering back to our local community, a place where we can and should make a difference. The awareness and education of real world problems is one of the most important aspects of the ASB experience and one I am proud to support. This position has helped me become a more effective and stronger leader, gain organizational skills and has given me practice planning larger scale projects. Most importantly, I have learned how to work with a variety of personalities in order to achieve a common goal: positive change.
External Relations
Hi! I’m Mallory Gamer and I am one of the External Relations Chairs for ASB. Being an external relations chair has been unbelievable experience. Through informing our diverse campus community about ASB, I have been able to develop my communication skills (both written and oral), expand my campus network, and become sufficiently more organized. This position will help any person develop such skills regardless of major or professional aspirations.
Hi! My name is Anil Hussain and I am one of the External Relations Chairs for Alternative Spring Break, Being a part of ASB this past year has been a phenomenal experience that has not only challenged me, but helped me develop into a better person. The External Relations Position has allowed me to become more involved in social justice issues, better organized, and a stronger leader.
Internal Development
Hello everyone, my name is Ron Rodriguez and I am the Internal Development Chair for Alternative Spring Break! As Internal, I do most of my work behind the scenes. At meetings, I take minutes and send up to date news regarding ASB through the listservs. I am in charge of collecting driver licenses and medical information of trip participants prior to departure. Lastly, I work with the treasurer regarding Maria Somma Scholarships. Through this experience, I have developed multiple skills that can be used in a professional setting in the future. Being a part of ASB Board, I have grown as an individual and as a team member - working as one for the better of the organization and have a new meaning for dedication and commitment. It is an opportunity and challenge I can look back on as one I will never forget nor regret!
Multimedia Chair
Hello there! I’m Dan Guico and I am the Multimedia Chair for ASB. ASB has really given me a chance to be creative and leave my artistic mark on ASB forever (t-shirts). It also gave me new challenges which were rewarding to solve and 100% essential to the functioning of our organization. I love being around this highly unique and energetic set of people. ASB has really come to define my extracurricular college career and given me experiences which I will probably never have again.
Organizational Fundraising
Hey! I’m Kenny Putman and I’m one of the Organizational Fundraisers on ASB Board. Being on ASB board has been a very challenging, but rewarding experience. This position has been a great opportunity to work with many different people, and has given me a new perspective. As organizational fundraiser I plan events and write grant applications in order to raise money for ASB.
Hi, I’m Simi Chabra and I’m one of the Organizational Fundraisers on ASB Board. It’s been a great experience. Being an Organizational Fundraiser is hard work and a surprisingly large time commitment, but awesome nonetheless. You get to organize fundraisers, and really just promote ASB as a whole.
Trip Facilitator Trainers
Bonjour! I’m Suzanne Pearson, one of three Trip Facilitator Trainers for ASB. I love my position on ASBoard! As a TFT I have been able to meet a boat load of fantastic people and helped them grow into astounding facilitators! I, myself, have grown from in this role—I have learned to more effectively work on a team, how to better communicate my thoughts and opinions, and how to integrate fun with learning! I love getting to hang out with my cos, love and dance! We also get to interview and choose Trip Facilitators—it’s a lot of work but it is always fun and adventurous!
Cheerio good sir or madam, my name is Paul and I am one of the Trip Facilitator Trainers. Being a Trip Fac Trainer has allowed me to expanded my creativity and silliness. I have developed group activity and planning skills from having this position on board. Running trainings every week can be time consuming, but it is fun when you are paired with two fun and amazing co’s. It is so rewarding to see the Trip Fac’s grow through trainings, and then to hear about how awesome their trips went. Trip Fac Trainers should be fun, organized, and LOVE ASB!
Hey you! My name is Sarah Rodriguez and I am one of the three Trip Faciltator Trainers on ASB Board! I absolutely love my position on board because I get to know so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I love how with this position, I help make the ASB experience that much better for all trip members since we train trip facilitators to be the best they can be! I’ve met the two coolest people in the world that I’m fortunate enough to call my co’s and I am so grateful to have gotten so close to them. My favorite part about this position is everything about it! Panning and hosting weekly trainings takes a lot of work and has taught me how to manage my time and set my priorities and be overall more organized person but there wasn’t a moment where I wasn’t having fun doing what I love. Being on board has made me so much more passionate about service learning, and I’m thankful to have shared this experience with some ahhhmazing people :)
Site Development
I’m Anna Gooler, one of the Site Development chairs! I’ve had an amazing first year on ASBoard getting to know new friends and learning everything that goes into the ASB experience. As a Site D chair, I help plan the trips and housing. This means sending lots of emails and making lots of phone calls to various organizations and housing sites. Through ASB, I’ve developed interpersonal skills, gained leadership experience, discovered my interests, and even explored opportunities for the future. Site D can be challenging, but it is extremely rewarding and worthwhile!
Hello!! My name is Grace Kyung and being part of ASB board has changed my life completely! I have been on board for 3 years, and it was the best decision I have made in college. Currently, I am one of the Site Development chairs and we help pick where the trips go and all the diverse issues that you get to experience. In addition, we help pick the housing and communicate with the trip facilitators and the site. This is a very rewarding position because it’s always great to see the smiles on everyone’s faces when they get back from their trips from the sites that you find. In addition, being part of ASB Board has helped me develop as an individual and helped me meet some of the greatest people in my life. I have never regretted being more involved with ASB and hope that you find a passion for it too!
Hi there! My name is Francine Santos and I am one of the three site development chairs. Being Site Development chair has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. This position has really helped me with time management, especially. But it has also taught me the value of hard work and overcoming hardships through perseverance. It is a really rewarding position, and I love the feeling of fulfillment that I get after the trips come back and I get to hear all their amazing stories. It reassures me that all the hard work I put in is worth it and that fighting for social change is worthwhile!
Student Advisor
Hello! My name is Lizzie Chaps, and I am the Student Advisor for ASB. This is my second year on the executive board, and I cannot imagine my college career without ASB! We have laughed and cried our way through it all. As the Student Advisor, it is my job to keep records on all that we do as board members and to organize our first conference with other ASB organizations. I am so proud of all that we have accomplished this year as a team, and I could not have reached my goals without the support of my fellow board members.
Treasurer
Hey! My name is Jian Kun Zhao and I am the one and only treasurer for the ASB planning board! Being an accounting major, this position really allows me to put the stuff I learn in classes into good use(I use a lot of excel spreadsheets). I handle all the ASB finances. Some of the things that I do include planning the annual budget for the ASB board, playing with all ASB money (did I say playing? I meant “managing”), doing monthly reconciliations, collecting and writing a LOT of checks, and keeping records of pretty much everything money related. It sounds like a lot of work, but I really enjoy it. Working as the treasurer definitely taught me to be more organized and staying on task, considering all the paperwork that I have to manage. It’s been absolutely amazing being on the ASB planning board this far; I have learned so much from this position, and it’s a heck lot of fun hanging with other ASB folks!
If YOU are interested in applying or just learning more, head to our website: www.illinoisasb.org or email us! Can’t wait to hear from you!
