Rushna Raza Inaba: My experience with GC pre-career interest groups and clinical work in the LA/OC areas, and passion for teamwork, makes me a well-qualified candidate for the Outreach Chair position. Since I was a prospective student, I have stayed involved in the larger GC community to develop resources and programming . With the UCLA SIG and local GCPSN, I hosted informational events and generated helpful resources. In my clinical roles both as a student and genetic counselor, I have honed my skills in collaboration through inter-disciplinary projects and working closely with genetics laboratories.

Hunaydah Elfarawi, MS, CGC, is a licensed board-certified genetic counselor specializing in cancer genetics. She has a Master of Science degree in genetic counseling from the University of Cincinnati. Her master’s thesis investigated parental perspectives on prenatal decision-making, provider prognostication, and quality of life after a prenatal diagnosis of alobar holoprosencephaly. Prior to completing her master’s degree, Hunaydah earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from University of Ottawa, with a minor in psychology. During that time, she investigated how institutions and laboratories approached the process of variant reinterpretation in the context of familial testing while working at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Hunaydah is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Arab Association of Genetic Counselors, Minority Genetics Professional Network, and Southern California Genetic Counselors. Hunaydah joined City of Hope in June 2021 as part of the Center for Precision Medicine, which aims to use genetics to guide cancer treatment and prevention. She is passionate about increasing knowledge and accessibility to genetic services among underserved communities.

Jamie Phan: I have been part of the Kaiser Permanente Laboratory Genetic Counseling team ever since I graduated from the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in 2021. As part of this team, I play a dynamic force in shaping the lab stewardship program and lead projects to expand the GC role at the lab and integrate more closely with our clinicians. When I started this journey, I never imagined I would find myself in this role, but I feel very fortunate to be a part of this team. Since my time as an undergraduate, I was drawn to genetic counseling due to the community- I had never encountered a group of individuals who cared so much about patients and about their colleagues. The GCSIG at UCLA was a great place to gain exposure and opportunities to explore the field, and I enjoyed being able to give back to the community as its vice president as well. When I matched with my GC program, I knew I had entered the perfect field for me. My rotations and training offered a breadth of exposure, from rigorous medical school courses to diverse specialty clinics. Brimming with these experiences, I would like to play a more active part in the SCGC community.

Ruben Alejandro Martin was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied biology at the University of California at Irvine, and received his master’s degree from the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. During his time at Northwestern, he wrote a thesis concerning the coping mechanisms of athletes affected with long QT syndrome who were restricted from participating in sport. Since moving back to Southern California, Ruben obtained his genetic counseling certification and has worked with the neurology genetic counseling department at Cedars-Sinai, assisting with research regarding inherited neuropathies. He currently works as a Credentialing Administrator for Autism Learning Partners. Ruben is eager to contribute to the growth and communication of genetic counselors in Southern California.

Emily Parkhurst: Even as a kid, I loved science and genetics. My third grade science fair project was to draw my family tree. I traced my family back three generations and the different recessive and X-linked genetic traits they carried. At family gatherings, I often point out which of my relatives are carriers of red hair and who is a carrier for color blindness. I first learned about genetic counseling from my mother who was a clinical chemist and worked in the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles genetics lab. After graduating cum laude with honors with a bachelor’s degree in biology from UC Irvine, I received my master’s degree in genetic counseling from California State Northridge in 2001. With a diverse employment history (Sunday school teacher, lifeguard, LGBT peer counselor, musical theater usher, pregnancy clinic counselor, research lab intern), I got my first genetic counseling job at a private practice in Sacramento in 2001 at age 23 (probably the youngest GC ever). Then in 2004, I was pleased to join the genetics department at Kaiser Permanente West Los Angeles. Today, my hobbies include video games and making YouTube videos. As a lifeguard in high school and college, swimming continues to be my favorite sport. I started doing triathlons after college and have completed over two dozen Olympic distance triathlons. I am a begrudging runner and have done several half-marathons. However, my favorite race is still the two mile Dwight Crum Pier-to-Pier ocean swim every summer.

Lauren Watson is a licensed and certified genetic counselor in the greater Los Angeles area. She currently works as a Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Manager at Myriad Women's Health, leading a team of genetic counselor MSLs who provide education, clinical support, and technical expertise to health care providers interested in implementing hereditary cancer risk assessment and reproductive genetic screening. Prior to her management role, Lauren was a Regional Medical Specialist and MSL at Myriad. During her time as a genetic counselor in Southern California, Lauren has volunteered for the Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC), working on several committees and now serves as the organization's Treasurer. Prior to joining Myriad, Lauren trained at Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. She is also a member of NSGC and an alumna of the City of Hope Intensive Course in Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment.

Ariadna Martinez is a bilingual board-certified genetic counselor with experience providing services to diverse patient populations in various clinical areas and work settings. Ariadna began her genetic counseling career as a prenatal genetic counselor at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center. Ariadna then worked at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute as a genetic counselor and research coordinator working with parents of deaf/hard of hearing children as well as deaf/hard of hearing adults. Ariadna then spent several years as a clinical genetic counselor and study manager at UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute with a focus on inherited retinal conditions. Ariadna subsequently joined the cardiogenetics program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Ariadna transitioned to working in industry, initially at Ambry Genetics, working on variant interpretation and report writing. Ariadna then joined Invitae, where she provided clinical support to ordering providers, telehealth post test genetic counseling in multiple clinical areas, and led the Genetic Counseling Services Ophthalmology/Deafnes team. Ariadna currently works at the UCLA Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Care as a researcher and genetic counselor in the UCLA Memory Clinic. Ariadna is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, Minority Genetics Professional Network and Southern California Genetic Counselors. Ariadna has a Master’s Degree in Human Genetics from UCLA and a Master’s Degree in Genetic Counseling from California State University, Northridge.

Amanda de Leon: I have worked tirelessly to incorporate the initiatives and values of D.E.I. within the work and projects I do as a genetic counselor and even before. As a genetic counselor I have worked to support the Latine genetic counseling community and Spanish speaking patient populations by working with the minority genetics professional network to address gaps that I noticed in my day-to-day care with patients. Currently, I am the regional lead for J.E.D.I. initiatives for Providence genetic counselors in Orange County. The reason that I am interested in the D.E.I. chair position is because I would like to support SCGC as they continue to foster learning and awareness of these values in their community. I think my background working within my role as a genetic counselor in my job and with larger communities will provide insightful perspective.

Kathryn Reyes: I’m enthusiastic about serving as SCGC’s Education Co-Chair and am excited to facilitate educational opportunities that empower genetic counselors with the latest knowledge. I possess educational skills from my experiences with giving lectures to students in our local genetic counseling programs and moderating case conferences as part of my involvement with City of Hope’s Intensive Course in Genomic Cancer Risk Assessment. I aim to leverage the skills I’ve gained from these experiences to facilitate continuous learning, promote collaboration, and enhance the overall expertise of our genetic counseling community.

Joan Oliver is a certified and licensed genetic counselor with over 35 years of experience. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, and her Master’s degree in Genetic Counseling from the University of California, Irvine. Currently, she is the Regional Director for Genetic Counseling Services for Labcorp in a region including Southern CA, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Hawaii. Joan leads the Labcorp Genetics GC JEDI Taskforce, a group tasked with developing JEDI programming for the genetic counseling groups in LabCorp Genetics in order to increase awareness of topics such as unconscious/implicit bias, microaggressions, and the need for increased diversity within the genetic counseling profession.

In 2010, Joan teamed with Kelly Ormond and Liz Kearney to shepherd the CA Genetic Licensing implementation bill (AB 2300) through its final legislative hurdles; she is proud to hold CA GC license #2. In her personal life, Joan is a mother to a daughter who is a member of many diverse groups, including the Deaf, cerebral palsy, and chronically ill adult communities; this lived experience has opened her eyes and ears in invaluable ways. She is also a former board member of the Estancia and TeWinkle Schools Foundation, which is devoted to making services more equitable across her local school district.

Rebecca LeShay Araujo: I have volunteered on several committees for both the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and the Southern California Genetic Counselors (SCGC), and I always say how much I especially love working with the SCGC. Our SCGC organization and membership are remarkable, accomplishing so much across all of our committees, including not only a wonderful Annual Conference, but also marketing initiatives, membership socials, and more. I loved helping to plan the conference and serving as the Education Chair, and I am excited about the prospect of continuing to solidify our organizational policies, procedures, and revenue streams to ensure sustainability as we continue to transition from a new organization to a more established one. I would be honored to serve as SCGC President, working with our board of directors on developing new events and features to best meet the needs and asks of the membership.

Nydia Santiago Neal, MS, CGC, graduated from California State University, Northridge genetic counseling program in 2009. She has worked in a wide array of settings including industry, prenatal, teaching, and hereditary cancer risk assessment. She enjoys providing genetic counseling services in Spanish, mentoring new and prospective genetic counselors, and working to address DEI&J issues within the genetics community.