RADFORD – Radford University’s Waldron College of Health and Human Services has announced the appointment of four student ambassadors. They are occupational therapy major Tara Brown ’11 of Richlands, communication sciences and disorders major Katelyn Reilly ’10 of Roanoke, social work major Alison Lowers ’10 of Winchester and nursing major Jamie Kazlauskas ’10 of Christiansburg.

The ambassador program, now in its second year, provides students the opportunity to become more familiar with academia through periodic invitations to attend college meetings held by the college’s leadership team, department faculty meetings and journal groups. Ambassadors represent the college at accreditation visits, tours, student recruitment functions and commencement.

The ambassadors were selected for their outstanding leadership skills with each having earned the recognition of their chairs and directors, according to Waldron College dean Raymond Linville. “As student leaders, they have much to offer the college and we are looking forward to their many contributions in the coming year. I am especially impressed by this year’s group of ambassadors and their many achievements. Our college is fortunate to have students of their academic excellence and proven leadership,” says Linville.

Reilly’s career ambition is to be an audiologist. “My hopes for the student ambassador position are that I meet more of the Waldron faculty and further establish an academic relationship with those professors and other professional peer leaders,” she says. “I also hope that I can help future COSD students become attracted to the major.”

Working with women and children who are survivors of sex/human trafficking is Lowers’ career goal. She says, “I would like to work directly with this population and be a part of their healing process. In being a leader with the ambassador role, I hope I can have an impact on upcoming students in the social work field as I share my experience at Radford with them. I hope I can give them a positive view of the social work field and all that it offers."

Brown, a 2008 Virginia Tech graduate with a bachelor’s in biological sciences and a post-graduate certificate in rural public health from East Tennessee State, wants to work within the Veterans Administration in the field of stroke and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. She says, “As ambassador of the inaugural occupational therapy class, I hope to help set a strong foundation for student leadership within the department that will be important as we grow. I am honored to represent my fellow classmates, as any one of them would be an excellent ambassador for the program. I also hope to promote visibility and awareness of the occupational therapy profession here at RU.”

Kazlauskas says she is excited to share what Waldron has to offer others and adds, "We have a wonderful, well-rounded nursing program with which I am proud to be involved."