President: Tess Krage
Year at OSU: 3rd year
Major: Biology
Minor: Disability Studies
Hometown: Milford, OH
Interests: Skiing, snowboarding, scuba-diving, and food!
What do you love about being involved in TOPS and Bucks for TOPS?
I have been a volunteer for the TOPS program since my freshman year, and I love the friendships and community that I have built throughout my time here! Working with TOPS students every week is something I always look forward to—if I can put a smile on someone’s face, I consider it an accomplishment! Deepening my involvement with TOPS through our newly active student organization Bucks for TOPS has been a wonderful experience. I have learned so much about what it means to be a leader and take initiative.
Vice President: Faria Siddiqi
Year at OSU: 4th year
Major: Public Health
Hometown: Upper Arlington, Ohio
Interests: Hanging out with friends, listening to music, and thrift-shopping
What do you love about being involved in TOPS and Bucks for TOPS?
My youngest brother was diagnosed with autism when I was in second grade, so having experience with people with disabilities has been ingrained as a part of my life for a long time now. My brother was my inspiration in applying to be a volunteer for the TOPS Program. I am an education coach for the program, so I get to go to class with a different TOPS student every semester. This is my fourth semester as a volunteer intern, and I think my favorite part about it is that I still get to talk to and hang out with the students I’ve met over the course of the past four semesters, and they never fail to make my day. Being the Vice President for Bucks for TOPS is truly an honor, and I really look forward to helping out the TOPS students even more, as well as getting other students involved in helping out!
Treasurer: Gaby Romaker
Year at OSU: 3rd year
Major/minor: Environmental Public Health with a minor in Sociology
Hometown: Spencerville, Ohio
Interests: reading, exercising, and traveling
What do you love about being involved in TOPS and Bucks for TOPS?
Throughout high school, I feel in love with the disabled population, and it inspired me to pursue a career where I could help this population one day. I found the TOPS program freshman year and have served in positions of an educational coach and a tutor. I love the sense of community in the TOPS program, which may be hard to find in a university as large as OSU. I have grew to connect with many of the students in the TOPS program, as well as meeting fellow students who are as passionate about disability inclusion as I am. Joining Bucks for TOPS was a natural choice for me because I hope to keep helping these students in any aspect, by raising money so they may continue their education or bringing disability awareness to OSU’s campus.
Lyndsay McLaughlin graduated in the summer of 2019, and she was our first Treasurer. She still deserves credit 🙂
Year at OSU: graduated
Major/minor: Health Sciences major with a minor in Neuroscience
Hometown: Larchmont, NY
Interests: Listening to music, reading, exercising, and playing with my dog!
What do you love about being involved in TOPS and Bucks for TOPS?
I have been a TOPS volunteer for almost two years and I absolutely love it. Participating in TOPS socials are often the highlight of my week, the students never fail to put a smile on my face. I have met so many wonderful people through this program, when a TOPS staff member sent out an email about starting up Bucks for TOPS I was immediately interested. To be able to be more involved with the program and raise funds for something I care so deeply about has been such a rewarding experience. I’m so excited to see how the club progresses this year and in years to come.
Fun fact: I met Justin Bieber before he was super famous at a radio station in Atlanta!
Favorite memory from TOPS: Karaoke nights! I love seeing the students get really into performing, the crowd always loves it too!