By Molly Tavella

The CaHPSA 2010-2011 Leadership Team is proud to announce their choice of Michelle Farmer as the Outstanding Student of the Year. Michelle is the former Lobby Day Coordinator who recently graduated with her clinical doctorate in occupational therapy. She was honored with the award at the 2011 Summer Conference After Party. Michelle’s fellow CaHPSA teammates chose her for this award in recognition of the huge task that Michelle undertook in planning Lobby Day.

Michelle truly deserves this title. She spent many hours preparing and planning one of the best lobby days CaHPSA has seen to date. Under Michelle’s leadership, the CaHPSA team flourished and exemplified a highly professional atmosphere, not just for Lobby Day, but also in every CaHPSA activity. Michelle helped spread the word in her personal network by educating her peers and classmates about the single payer movement and what CaHPSA strives to accomplish. Michelle also strengthened CaHPSA by helping to incorporate all students in our alliance, making it stronger in its diversity.

Michelle was very thankful to receive this award and stated “I feel so fortunate to have found the CaHPSA and PNHP families–being involved with the single payer movement in California and surrounded by such great people has been invaluable to my personal and professional development. I had big shoes to fill this year but with the tremendous leadership of the CaHPSA statewide team, together we achieved impressive successes! It’s so empowering to see what a group of dedicated students can accomplish together and exciting to know that the next generation of leaders are motivated to lead the charge and respond to all future challenges. Thank you for this accolade, it has been a genuine pleasure to collaborate with you all.”