2020-2021 Executive Board
Operations Directors
Hi! My name is Antonia Young, and I am a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in music cognition. AMASE has been one of the most important and active parts of my college experience since Fall quarter of my freshman year. Although I came into AMASE just expecting to learn how to teach music to students with special needs, I have learned a lot about how to provide a supportive community for both the students and volunteers. Our students look to volunteers to provide them with support and reassurance that they may not otherwise get. Back when I taught, I was always very inspired by the determination and happiness my students would display when they played through a piece, completed a craft, or had fun at a special event. I am always proud to see our students grow musically, artistically, and socially, and I hope to continue expanding AMASE as co-operations director!
My name is Kyoko Kohno and I am so excited to be one of the operations directors this year! I am currently a senior studying piano performance and neuroscience, and have been a part of AMASE since the fall quarter of freshman year. It is always incredibly rewarding to get up every Saturday morning to see the faces of students and volunteers who are ready to be creative together and have fun with the arts. Not only has AMASE given me the opportunity to learn to work with children with special needs and build leadership skills, but it has also provided me with invaluable friendships with other peers. Being a part of this special and supportive community has definitely been a highlight of my Northwestern experience!
Volunteer Relations Director
Hi! My name is Evan Woo, and I am this year’s Volunteer Relations Director! I am a senior majoring in neuroscience and potentially minoring in chemistry, and I joined AMASE in the spring of my freshman year. I am really glad that I joined AMASE because I learned a lot through teaching, and I found a community of students and other volunteers who all share a passion for music. Every week, I get to engage with this community and watch volunteers and students interacting and growing together in their musical journey. I am so grateful to be a part of AMASE, and I look forward to working and interacting with everyone each week!
Curriculum Directors
Hello! My name is Paige Smyth, and I am a senior studying Learning Sciences. AMASE has been an incredible space for me to connect with my peers and our students through music and creative expression, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow with our community each week. I love seeing the smiles on students’ faces when they reach a goal or see their volunteer for the first time in a while; it shows just how meaningful the connections and lessons discovered through AMASE can be. I’m constantly amazed by both our students and volunteers, and I hope to enhance everyone’s AMASE experience while I serve as co-curriculum director!
Hi there! My name is McKenna Lanter, and I am a junior studying human communication sciences and psychology. I joined AMASE with the desire to continue working with students of diverse abilities, but I never imagined how creative, innovative, and supportive such a space could be! I love being part of an organization that gives our students, volunteers, and families the agency to be themselves and build such a welcoming community. Having participated in both Saturday Ensemble and Community Choir, I am constantly blown away by what our students discuss, create, and perform. As a Co-Curriculum Director, I hope to create a collaborative teaching and learning space so that all students can engage with lessons in a way that is comfortable and inviting to them!
My name is Ryan Lee, and I am thrilled to be one of the co-curriculum directors for AMASE! I am currently a junior studying Music Education. AMASE was the very first organization that I joined when I came to campus my freshman year, and I knew immediately that it was something that I wanted to become more involved in. Being a part of AMASE has given me the opportunity to give back to the community and be a positive, encouraging part of students’ lives on a weekly basis. I love being able to interact with the students, along with the other amazing volunteers, and use music as a source of joy. As a musician myself, it is a continuous reminder of how powerful creativity can be in our lives, and some of my favorite memories have been seeing the happiness on students’ faces when they are given this outlet for expression. I am honored to have the chance to help AMASE continue to be a thriving part of the community, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
Finance Director
My name is Emmanuel Ogunlana and I am a senior majoring in neuroscience and minoring in music technology. I joined AMASE during the fall of my sophomore year. I believe that anyone can join AMASE as long as they have a passion for teaching. However, I think that the real beauty of AMASE comes from learning from our students. I am honored to be able to teach such creative and energetic students that love music as much as I do, and it’s very rewarding to learn how to be patient and understanding of our students’ needs. Our volunteers have the privilege to see our students bloom before our very eyes! I have a student who used to be shy when it came to dancing. Every quarter we have a different theme that involves a dance routine, and he usually wouldn’t be willing to participate. However, when the recital came around, it seemed like he was a completely different person! He was confident and happy and dancing like he did not have a care in the world! This memory definitely reminds me of the profound impact AMASE has on our students, and I am truly satisfied to be a part of such a thriving community.
Fundraising Chair
Hi! My name is Cristina Ciubancan and I am a junior majoring in Economics and Violin Performance and minoring in Business Institution. I am serving as the Fundraising Chair for AMASE. I joined AMASE the fall of my freshman year and I look forward to going to Saturday lessons every week. AMASE provides such a welcoming community in which students, teachers, and parents are able to be creative together through music and arts. Every week I am constantly amazed by what our students are able to express and create through music. Being a part of AMASE has given me the opportunity to learn to work with children with diverse abilities, gain leadership skills, and most importantly form meaningful relationships with students at Northwestern and members of the Evanston community. I am so excited to be a part of AMASE exec and I look forward to seeing what the future holds!
Community Outreach Directors
Hello! My name is Samuel Kim, and I am a senior majoring in Neuroscience and minoring in Advanced Asian Languages, and I am serving as a Co-Community Outreach Director in AMASE. I joined AMASE fall quarter of my sophomore year, and my time in this organization has been fulfilling and life-giving, to say the least. The majority of my experience in AMASE has consisted of co-teaching piano to my student, but I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lead arts & crafts time and community ensemble during my time serving as a Substitute Co-Curriculum Director in Fall 2019. The relationships which I have been able to form with peers, students, and parents through AMASE continue to shape me to this day. Moreover, thanks to the folks at AMASE Cupertino, I was blessed to be given the opportunity to attend AMASE Summer Training in the San Francisco Bay Area along with several of my fellow AMASE NU volunteers in the summer of 2019; during this trip, I was able to see how things are done at AMASE HQ, tour and explore the fascinating SF Bay Area, bond with some of my friends in AMASE, and connect with the amazing personnel keeping the wheels turning at AMASE HQ. I am excited to serve as a Co-Community Outreach Director of AMASE during the 2020-2021 school year. Frankly, I have been changed more by AMASE than vice versa. I look forward to experiencing change all the more.
Hi! My name is Sophia Jean and I am a junior in the Bienen/Weinberg dual degree program studying flute performance and cognitive science! I joined AMASE the winter of my freshman year, and it has definitely been one of my favorite parts about Northwestern. As a musician, I am passionate about how we can strengthen communities through the arts, and AMASE does exactly that. I love watching the students grow every quarter and have the chance to express themselves through music and art. I also really like how AMASE gives our students the chance to interact with each other in a welcoming environment, and it warms my heart to see the strong relationships that are formed between our volunteers and students. It is truly an inspiring and rewarding experience to work with these students and I am grateful to be a part of such an organization! As Co-Community Outreach Director, I hope to keep AMASE connected with the broader Northwestern and Evanston community. I am so excited to work on exec and to see what the future of AMASE holds!
Media Director
Hi! My name is Smitha Ramesh, and I am a sophomore majoring in psychology and cognitive science. I joined AMASE the fall of my freshman year, and I am so glad that I did! I love music and I love working with people with special needs, and AMASE is a perfect blend of both. I get to start my Saturdays surrounded by creativity and enthusiasm for the arts. It's so inspiring and rewarding to watch our students grow as musicians and people. AMASE is also like a family. I love seeing relationships blossom between both the students and the volunteers. As Media Director, I hope to show everyone just how AMASE-ing our students are and what a great community we have established! I am so grateful to be part of this wonderful organization and I can't wait to see it grow even more this year!
