Guest Speakers

Guest Speaker┇National Society of Black Engineers
April 30, 2021

         Friday, on the 30th of April, NSBE, the National Society of Black Engineers, hosted a presentation for John F. Kennedy students in order to inform students more about their organization, and hopefully encourage more students to pursue engineering. NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States, with more than 500 chapters and nearly 22,000 active members in the U.S. and abroad. The CSUN NSBE chapter provides assistance and support to foster a space for academic growth and retention for students on the CSUN campus and members of the Los Angeles community. They focus on training students on important aspects of career development by hosting different workshops like resume building and interview tips on campus for students in the STEM field. The workshops tend to be hosted by previous CSUN NSBE members who work in the industry. There is also a focus on building a legacy of future engineers by connecting and engaging with K-12 students. So far, NSBE has succeeded in creating a global network of Black Engineers, scientists and technologists. The organization has accomplished more for black engineering students than any other organization in the world, and the CSUN chapter is currently carrying on with that legacy.

Guest Speaker┇Pediatric Respiratory Therapist
April 12, 2021

         Monday, on the 19th of April, Cierra Griffin came to us today to talk about her career as a pediatric respiratory therapist. Including her college path, day in a life, and recommendations to all anticipating to enter the medical field. She discusses the pros and cons of working as a pediatric worker and talks to the audience about what it means to be in the medical field.

        The medical field is not something to take lightly, that is with the stresses and losses, workers often experience when going through their 12-hour shift. This hard work emphasizes the need to have a positive and enduring personality, and a great passion to save lives. She spoke to the audience about her day in her life while working with and under the doctors and nurses, which include handover reports and memorable cases. Walking into your first may hit as hard as a truck, which is why that students stay strong and persistent and remember, everything is a learning experience.

Guest Speaker┇National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
April 12, 2021

         Monday, on the 12th of April, Rachel Steinman and Jaqueline from the NAMI association invited us to a presentation regarding American mental health and illnesses as well as their own experiences in their work and mental life. Their ultimate goal is to prevent negative stigma and trauma as well as “End the Silence”. They encourage peers to speak out on their mental issues and realize they are not alone in this world.

         NAMI discussed the definition of being mentally healthy and ways to deal with mental health. Mental Health conditions are like any condition and can change the way someone thinks and thankfully, can be treated. However, many are left untreated due to stigma. NAMI encourages people to recognize the warning signs and fight through the stigma and address the illness with someone, even more, be the one to recognize and help those with mental illness. Thank you, NAMI for your presentation and for bringing greater attention to mental illness and how relevant it is in society.

Guest Speaker┇Mental Health
March 25, 2021

         On Thursday, March 25, America Paredes of Mental Health America, was invited to our school to discuss the nature of mental health conditions. She emphasizes the importance of early awareness and prevention. In addition, she identifies common symptoms and stages of mental health conditions. She discusses methods to identify signs of what is happening and tells students in a validated way when to get help and talk to someone.

         Their primary and ultimate goal is to give integrated service, care, and support for people on their way to recovery. Mental Health America pushes for mental care in the community and they host many educational campaigns via social media, podcasts, and awareness months, to help bridge the gaps of mental health. There were 170 attendees at this virtual event.

Guest Speaker┇Oncology Nursing
March 12, 2021

         On Friday, March 12, Lisa Polo, a nurse with ER and COVID-19 experience, discussed with the audience regarding the facts and myths of nursing, such as race and gender diversity and common experiences, in addition to a general description of nursing and whether if nursing is for you. She also provides great advice to students who intend to become a nurse like costs and required courses.

         Liza Polo discusses a few of her experiences and what a shift generally looks like. She describes her experience as a very fast-paced and team-dependent environment and science-reliant field. She mentions that nurses must have great communication skills and a great understanding of scientific fields as well as be able to fulfill the criteria that the California Board of Registered Nursing sets (background checks, NCLEX exams, and continuing education). Last of all, a nurse takes pride in what they do and is always ready to be there for someone in need. There were 193 attendees at this virtual event.

Guest Speaker┇Digital Wellbeing & Human Behaviors
March 5, 2021

         On Friday, March 5, Dr. Tyler Shores, a Senior Research Associate and Ph.D. researcher at the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, came to give a lecture regarding human behaviors on the internet, including common habits and ways that humans read. He also suggests a few courses of action to break those negatives habits and increase attention span when completing a task. There were 168 attendees at this virtual event.

         Dr. Shores suggests a couple of applications and techniques to help push your brain toward active learning and eliminate distraction learning. He recommends using timers, graphs, and social group learning to pressure your brain (in a good way) and reward your brain when you work on a task. Dr. Shores also goes over ways the brain reads on the internet versus print, where the brain tends to skim read on-screens and “scaffold” on the print text. However, in the end, there are still more to be researched about human behaviors.

Guest Speaker┇Biopharmaceutical Industry
February 20, 2021

         On Friday, February 20, 2021, Mr. Eric Kircher, who works at the Amgen Pivotal Attribute Science division, provided great insight into the biopharmaceutical industry and what one can expect while working in the field. Kircher also gave the audience great advice on how to build your career in pharmaceuticals.

         Throughout his career, he explained the great hardships of troubleshooting and how each new drug can take years (about 10+ years) to get certified by the FDA. Each drug goes through countless synthetic and biological testing, and for each change, new impurities and side effects branch of the previous revision. For this reason, it is easy to fall into a pitfall due to impatience and frustration, however, the endproduct is always rewarding. In addition, he also provides essential advice if one plans to enter pharmaceuticals. Mr. Kircher advises the audience to take part in a research lab, in order to gain experience and skills like HLPC. In addition, learn to be able to utilize mentorship resources and professor office hours, he especially recommends using LinkedIn to look for experienced professionals in your desired field.