E-Board Elections 2010

Position: President

David Martin

I would like to be president of BALSO because I truly believe that BALSO provides students with a unique support network and extended family at P&S. As BALSO president I would continue to foster this unity within the group by working with the Executive board and membership to promote social, cultural, service and advocacy activities, particularly those which relate to issues of diversity and healthcare. I will continue to up hold's the organization's dedication to the recruitment, support and graduation of students from ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in medicine and other health sciences by working with the Executive board to assure all of BALSO's current traditions are maintained, in addition to helping develop and implement new ideas that address the needs of the members. In light of the new curriculum which will reduce the amount of time second years will have to spend with the incoming class, I will focus on providing the incoming class with a strong welcoming support network and opportunities to link up with upperclassmen and get involved early-on with BALSO. I realize that the role of president will be challenging at times, but I assure you that I have the prior leadership and management experience from serving as director of a ESL tutoring program in my undergraduate school, as well as the organizational and presentation skills from working as an analyst for the Clinton Foundation prior to starting medical school needed to successfully fulfill the role of president.

Fernando Barajas

Hello, I am interested in running for president. In order to explain why I want to run, I must first tell you a bit about myself and my family. I was born to two immigrants who came to New York before by swimming across El Rio Grande. That is, my mom who didn't know how to swim clung to my dad's back as he crossed the river in the search of a better life. Though they came here with very little money and no high school education, they were determined to succeed and it also helped that they had the support of their extended family. They have had given me two things, that team mentality and die-hard resolve, which have gotten me where I am today. Their gift has allowed me to help my friends and family also succeed.
Now I'll tell you why I want to run. One of the reasons I came to Columbia was BALSO and the great diversity that Columbia possessed. BALSO is like my family so to speak: it is one reason my time here thus far has been so memorable. This family has helped me out so far, hence I would like to return the favor. I want to be a team player to allow that BALSOe spirit to continue, thus ensuring the next year's class gets everything that BALSO has to offer.
Truly,
Fernando

Position: Vice-President

Camila Mateo

Hey Everyone! My name is Camila if you don't already know me and I want to run for Vice President of BALSO. I think that I would be a great Vice President for several reasons. As Vice President I would be coordinator of most of the academic aspects of BALSO including the practice practical and disseminating all of the great notes we as an organization have accumulated over the years. I think I would be very well suited for this because I was a tutor for all 4 years of my undergraduate career and absolutely love to teach and organize teaching events. Also, as the Vice President, being able to work closely with the E board is important and I think that my people skills and ability to reach compromises will be a very valuable asset in this position. Also, I have held several leadership positions in the past and, if I needed to serve as the President for whatever reason, feel that I would be able to lead strongly and effectively. BALSO is very near and dear to my heart and I pride myself, like most of you, on how reliable and supportive of a group it really is. I feel that I have demonstrated this dedication by being very active in this first year as the Class of 2013 Female Admissions Representative. I hope to continue to show my gratitude and appreciation of BALSO through this position. A woman's touch is never a bad thing either! Thank you for your consideration!

Position: LMSA Co-President

David Martin

I am interested the LMSA Co-President position because my involvement in the Latino community represented an important part of my social and academic experience while in college, which is why I would like to continue my interest in this field at P&S. My undergraduate, work and personal experiences within the Latino community have inspired me to dedicate my future medical career to improving the health outcomes of medically underserved groups, particularly Latinos within the United States and abroad. My prior work experience has taught me the benefits of networking which would come in handy when coordinating with all of the other regional LMSA presidents. As LMSA co-president I would work with the Executive to assure that BALSO is represented and kept up-to-date on the regional and national happenings within LMSA. One of my goals would be to find a way to further BALSO's presence and impact in the Washington Heights community by leveraging resources from the LMSA chapter.

Position: Community Service Chair

Orlando Sola

I have decided to run for Community Representative because I have the skills and qualifications necessary to fulfill this roles obligations to BALSO and the surrounding community. My educational career has always gone hand-in-hand with my involvement in the community and I enjoy finding new ways to make my impact felt. This year I have tried to expand our schools community work into under-represented populations outside of Washington Heights, and I plan on carrying this momentum with me into second year as your BALSO Community Rep. If elected Community Rep I promise to expand P&S students, including BALSO and non-BALSO members, involvement in community based organizations and maintain BALSO's outstanding reputation in Washington Heights and New York City.

Position: MAPS Chair

David Bejar Dear BALSO Family,

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying a great start to the new year and the new semester. In case you don't know me, my name is David Bejar and I'm from Miami, FL and just graduated from Princeton this June. I am running for the position of MAPS Chair because I believe it is a position that is in line with my interests in recruitment and in spreading the good word about BALSO, P&S, and the field of medicine. As many of you already know (especially the men in the first year class who I harass with host requests), I have served as a BALSO admissions representative for the past semester. My main function as one of the admissions representatives has been to assist in recruiting minority applicants to P&S by ensuring that each applicant has the opportunity to stay with a BALSO host during their interview visit. I feel strongly about this cause because my positive experiences with BALSO members during the interview process and again during revisit weekend played a huge role in my decision to come to P&S. As BALSO's MAPS Chair, I hope to continue my role in recruiting minority students to medicine and specifically to P&S by interacting with Columbia's MAPS chapter through the current mentoring program. However, I strongly believe that we should expand our mentoring and recruitment activities beyond Columbia's chapter to include other colleges in the region and across the country. One strategy to accomplish this would be to work with the Office of Diversity to ensure that a BALSO student is present at every major recruitment fair in the country. Another strategy is to organize evening discussion panels at nearby colleges in which BALSO members can give real advice on what it takes to be a successful premed, applicant, and now medical student. In implementing these strategies, I see a real opportunity to expand the MAPS Chair position to include broader responsibility for recruitment efforts. Although my goal would involve a collective effort among the entire BALSO community, it would also need a leader who is not only committed to the cause, but also excited by it. I hope that you share my vision, and that you will support my candidacy for MAPS Chair. Thanks!