Trainees

Current trainees

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  Aiden Aiello

  Occupational Therapy

  
  
  

  Aiden Aiello

  Occupational Therapy

  Aiden Aiello is a graduate student from Mantua, New Jersey studying occupational therapy. While completing his undergraduate degree, he was a research assistant working with children struggling with adherence to medication regimens for their conditions. He also was a resident assistant on campus. His goal for the LEND program is to learn about available resources for people with disabilities so he can use them during his time as an occupational therapy practitioner.

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  Lauryn Alexander

  Law

  
  
  

  Lauryn Alexander

  Law

  Lauryn Alexander is a second-year law student from Torrance, CA studying criminal law. She graduated from Hampton University with a BS in chemistry with a concentration in forensics and a minor in Spanish. During her time in undergrad, she was Miss Chemistry, a member of the Student Recruitment Team, and a scholar of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation program. Lauryn also graduated from WVU as the first Black woman to earn her PhD in forensic and investigative sciences while maintaining the Ruby Doctoral Fellowship. As a CASA for Kids volunteer, her goals with the LEND program are to learn more about the neurodevelopmental disabilities in her community and to use this knowledge to better advocate for kids and families.

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  Maya Attiah

  
  
  

  Maya Attiah

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  Clayton Baldwin

  Physician Assistant

  
  
  

  Clayton Baldwin

  Physician Assistant

  Clayton Baldwin is a first-year physician assistant student from Ripley, WV. He graduated from WVU in May 2023 with a BS in biochemistry while minoring in psychology. During his undergraduate studies, he spent his final two semesters as a MindFit Academic Coach where he focused on providing one on one academic enhancement to students with learning disabilities. This experience inspired him to join the WV LEND program in hopes of becoming more educated on the disability community and better prepared to advocate and care for individuals with disabilities before transitioning to a full-time provider after graduation.

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  Alexis Berry

  
  
  

  Alexis Berry

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  Emily Budik

  Psychology / Art Therapy

  
  
  

  Emily Budik

  Psychology / Art Therapy

  Emily Budik is a graduate student from Weirton, WV studying quantitative psychology. She received two BAs in psychology and art therapy with a minor in statistics from WVU. She has been a part of undergraduate research projects focusing on emotional expression, pain and anger, children and screens, as well as quantitative art therapy research. She has clinical experience from shadowing neuropsychologists and being a therapeutic boxing coach. Her capstone undergraduate research project focused on how a dance intervention can affect children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Her goal in the LEND program is to research how art practices can support the communities of people with neurodevelopmental disorders in hopes to improve cognition, motor functionality and emotional/social behaviors.

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  Mary Buffington

  Nurse Practitioner

  
  
  

  Mary Buffington

  Nurse Practitioner (Student)

  Mary Buffington is a post-graduate student studying to be a family nurse practitioner. A native West Virginian, she grew up in the Eastern Panhandle of WV. Mary received her BSN through Shepherd University and her MSN through Walden University. Her goal with the LEND program is to become a better advocate for people with disabilities in the primary care setting.

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  Maegan Casimir

  Pharmacy

  
  
  

  Maegan Casimir

  Pharmacy

  Maegan Casimir is a third-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) student. She has interned at Walmart Pharmacy in her hometown of Falling Waters, WV, and is currently serving as a medication history intern at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. Maegan is the president of the Student Society of Health-System Pharmacists (SSHP) and serves as Historian for the pharmacy honor society, Rho Chi. She also co-chairs the Operation Reproductive Health initiative within the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) and holds positions in other pharmacy organizations. Her research focuses on women’s health and interprofessional education. As a LEND trainee, Maegan is eager to continue working with interprofessional teams and to explore the role of pharmacists in the care of children with disabilities.

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  Samantha Coyne

  
  
  

  Samantha Coyne

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  Gretchen Durst

  
  
  

  Gretchen Durst

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  Alex Guth

  
  
  

  Alex Guth

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  Sidney Hacker

  Physical Therapy

  
  
  

  Sidney Hacker

  Physical Therapy

  Sidney Hacker is a second-year physical therapy student from Craigsville, WV. She graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology in December of 2022. As a LEND trainee, Sidney hopes to expand her knowledge of disabilities so she can better advocate for the children she works with and be the best pediatric physical therapist possible.

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  Devin Hefner

  
  
  

  Devin Hefner

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  Addie Ivey

  Physical Therapy

  
  
  

  Addie Ivey

  Physical Therapy

  Addie Ivey is a graduate student from Rochester, NY studying speech-language pathology. She graduated from WVU with a BS in communication sciences and disorders and a minor in Spanish. In undergrad, she worked at a local daycare (Pre-K to 5 years old) in the Morgantown area as a teaching assistant and summer program director. Her goals with the LEND program are to gain more knowledge and a better understanding about the disability community and learn how to advocate effectively. She also hopes to make new lifelong friendships. A fun fact about Addie is that she has been skydiving!

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  Daniel Keku

  Civil Engineering

  
  
  

  Daniel Keku

  Civil Engineering

  Daniel Keku is a graduate student from Browns Summit, NC who is currently pursuing his PhD in civil engineering from Virginia Tech University. He graduated from North Carolina A&T State University with a BS in civil engineering and received his MS in civil engineering from Virginia Tech. During undergrad, he was captain of the concrete cornhole team and steel bridge architect team for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). His goals with the LEND program are to learn more about the disability community and advocate for their needs. He believes learning about their experiences and using data can help city officials, planners and engineers improve informed decision making to provide better access to community services and affordable housing in both rural and urban areas.

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  McKenna Killion

  
  
  

  McKenna Killion

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  Daveon Lilly

  Law

  
  
  

  Daveon Lilly

  Law

  Daveon Y. Lilly is a third-year West Virginia University College of Law student from Denver, CO. Ms. Lilly holds a bachelor's degree in justice studies and another in social justice and human rights from Arizona State University. As a LEND trainee, Ms. Lilly hopes to utilize the information and practical experience the program provides to expand her knowledge about the specific needs of individuals with disabilities to better accommodate everyone once she becomes a practicing attorney.

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  Troy Loftis

  
  
  

  Troy Loftis

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  Emma Mclaughlin

  Speech-Language Pathology

  
  
  

  Emma Mclaughlin

  Speech-Language Pathology

  Emma McLaughlin is a graduate student from Hillsborough, NJ studying speech-language pathology. She graduated from WVU with a BA in psychology and a minor in communication sciences. In undergrad, she was a member of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association and the Student Sign-Language Club. Through the LEND program, she hopes to learn how to work and be an advocate for the disability community.

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  Sara Minigh

  Developmental Specialist

  
  
  

  Sara Minigh

  Developmental Specialist

  Sara Minigh is a Developmental Specialist for West Virginia Birth to Three. She works and lives in Putnam County, WV with her husband and 3 children. Sara has been involved in early intervention in both Virginia and West Virginia for the past 15 years. She graduated from Marshall University with a master’s degree in early childhood special education. She is enrolled in the LEND program to learn how to better serve families in her area and become a leader in the WV Birth to Three program. Sara feels strongly that parents are a child’s best teachers and looks forward to continuing to serve families by coaching and providing needed resources.

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  Kiersten Smith

  Occupational Therapy

  
  
  

  Kiersten Smith

  Occupational Therapy

  Kiersten Smith is a second-year graduate student from Beaver, WV studying occupational therapy at WVU. She previously graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, a minor in psychology and an emphasis in aquatic therapy. As a LEND trainee, Kiersten aims to increase her knowledge of disabilities, leadership skills and advocacy skills to provide more efficient care in the future as an occupational therapist.

Alumni

Zachariah Backus
WVU Speech-Language Pathology Student

Zachariah’s goals with the WV LEND program were to learn more about the disability community and how to better work with them and advocate for their needs.

“LEND has added to my program by allowing me to get outside of my comfort zone while working and interacting with students and professionals in a variety of disciplines and programs that I most likely wouldn’t have if I wasn’t a trainee.”

Keerthana Arjuna
WVU Dental Student

Through the WV LEND program, Keerthana hoped to learn how to provide more inclusive care to patients, learn more about the specific challenges that dental treatment may require, and assist in incorporating more disability education into dental training.

“LEND has not only allowed me to better understand what it entails to be a more responsible and inclusive provider, but a better member of my society.”

Jackie Rosiek
WVU Pharmacy Student

As a WV LEND Trainee, Jackie hoped to better understand how to care for patients with disabilities and gain experience working on interprofessional healthcare teams.

“My experience with LEND has shown me that there is a unique role for everyone on an interdisciplinary team. As a pharmacy student, this was a step outside of my normal area of study. However, I have loved being able to represent my area of health care while learning so much from other members of the team.”

Do you feel better prepared for professional work because of your WV LEND program participation?

• “Yes, 1,000%! More comfortable with the disability population and communicating with professionals.”

• “Yes, definitely; helped me prepare for rotations. I had no clinical experience, and this allowed me to prepare and ask questions – especially with people I trust.”

• “Yes, I love the multidisciplinary practice and learning from others.”

• “Way more prepared. I feel like my clinical reasoning skills and my advocacy skills have exploded in the past year. I feel like I have a leg up on my classmates due to this experience.”

• “Yes! Definitely. Not only did I get first-hand experience during a time when I wasn't in clinicals, I got extra knowledge and experiences that my peers did not.”