The James Van Rhee Student Society

Brittany was born and raised in Louisiana, but currently resides in Arizona with her fiancé and two fluffy Australian shepherds. She received her undergraduate degree in Japanese Language and moved to Japan to fulfill her passion for translation and experience living in a new country. After returning to the United States, Brittany obtained a master’s degree in speech-language pathology. While practicing as a medical speech-language pathologist (SLP), she provided services to rural and underserved communities in a variety of healthcare settings. She has experience working with language, voice, motor speech, swallowing, and cognition disorders. It was through her time as an SLP that she discovered her passion for medicine and decided to pursue becoming a physician assistant (PA). 

Brittany is particularly drawn to otolaryngology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, geriatrics, primary care, and gender-affirming care. She plans to allow her clinical rotations to help shape her future career aspirations.

During her time away from PA school, Brittany enjoys traveling, spending time with family and friends, aerial sports, and playing in nature. Being outdoors is essential to her way of life and she jumps at any opportunity to go rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing, and surfing. 

Leslie grew up in Edwards, Colorado, a small mountain town near Vail, but moved to the California coast for high school, college, and her graduate studies. She now splits her time between Vail and Denver, Colorado.

As an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara, she studied molecular biology and classical history. She was introduced to integrative medicine as a junior, after a family member was diagnosed with rectal cancer. She went on to earn a doctorate in acupuncture and Oriental medicine and spent five years practicing integrative pain management and functional medicine prior to starting PA school. After graduating, she plans to explore interventional pain management, regenerative medicine, radiology, and surgery.  

Outside of medicine, she enjoys skiing, hiking, paddling, gardening, and traveling. She lives with her partner and their two cats.

Alison was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a Bachelor of General Studies from Indiana University and a Master of Education from Middle Tennessee State University. Prior to PA school, she worked as an adolescent and family therapist, administrator, and educator. Additionally, she served in various capacities with several non-profit performing arts organizations and remains involved with Orbit Theatrical in Sandy Springs, Georgia. 

Motivated to pursue PA school during the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked as a medical scribe in the emergency department, which fueled her passion to become a primary care provider for underserved communities. Other interests include women’s health and performing arts medicine. Outside of studying, she enjoys singing, playing the piano, spending time with her dog, and exploring the Atlanta BeltLine.

Sierra was raised in Austin, Texas, where she still lives today. She graduated with a Bachelor’s in Anthropology from The University of Texas, and spent her undergrad years studying lemurs and excavating ancient civilizations. Sierra was drawn away from biological anthropology when she began volunteering with children undergoing chemotherapy during her junior year of college. At the children’s cancer center, she met the most incredible providers and patients, who inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. Sierra started out working in radiation oncology as a medical scribe for two years and then transitioned into women’s health as a medical assistant/scribe until starting PA school. She also worked as a patient care technician for the cancer center that started her on her healthcare journey.

Sierra has many interests, including pediatric oncology and women’s health/fertility. She enjoys caring for patients through difficult journeys and helping people find a source of light in tough moments. In her free time, she enjoys game nights, gardening, playing with her husky, and trying to recreate Bob Ross paintings with her friends and family. 

Marysol was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. She attended her last two years of high school in Litchfield Park, Arizona, where her love for medicine began. Here she began taking medical terminology and sports medicine courses, and honed her skills as a student athletic trainer. At 16, she had the opportunity to shadow a physical therapist. This firsthand experience was a turning point, and she subsequently enrolled at Arizona State University, where she graduated with a 4.0 GPA in Health Sciences. In college, she worked as a medical assistant, a biostatistics teacher’s assistant, and for AmeriCorps, while also obtaining a surgical internship. It was through her surgical internship that she discovered her interest in becoming a physician assistant, after meeting and shadowing several PAs.  

Currently, she is hoping her clinical rotations will give her more clarity as to what field she wants to go in, but is leaning towards surgery. When she’s not studying, Marysol enjoys cycling, traveling, charcuterie nights with her friends, and spending quality time with her family.

Youssef’s mission to increase access to quality healthcare extends beyond his professional work. Through clinical practice, a number of lives are reached. Through outreach, you can touch the world. He is a passionate advocate for healthcare equity, and he frequently leads outreach initiatives to make healthcare more convenient and accessible. As a student, Youssef is ready to translate his knowledge into clinical practice and empower the next generation of trailblazers who aim to make a difference in the world.

Jason is originally from Connecticut, grew up in North Carolina, and eventually returned to New England to attend graduate school and be closer to family. His interest in the medical field began from a personal experience as a patient recovering from a sports injury. Jason earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Hartford, where he helped establish the BFit program at Shriners Hospital for Children with cerebral palsy. 

During his healthcare career, he has had the opportunity to help patients in various settings, including acute care, rehabilitation hospitals, and outpatient orthopedic clinics. However, most of his career was spent in the home care setting of the medically underserved areas in Hartford, Conneticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts. 

Outside of studying or working in the clinic, Jason can be found golfing with his friends and family, learning new home improvement skills, trail running with his dog, and traveling with his fiancé.

Bibiana was born in southern Brazil and moved to the United States at age five, seeking medical care. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology from Miami Dade College and a Nutritionist and Dietetic Aide certification from Lindsey Hopkins Tech. 

She has worked in various settings as a lab technician, field scientist, medical assistant, and home health aide; and conducting research ranging from analyzing water samples of the Miami River for carcinogenic compounds to working on a USDA grant to investigate the effects of ranching practices on climate change. She holds additional certifications in deep sea diving, phlebotomy, and genetic data processing. 

Bibiana now lives in Miami with her husband, a Marine Corps combat veteran, and their two children. She is passionate about improving the well-being of the members of her community through multiple facets of volunteer work. When not studying or driving kids around, she loves to hike, bike, and camp with her family.