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</p><div id="attachment_50764" style="width: 970px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-50764" src="; alt="Horizontal, half-body shot of 快活林性息 Alumni Association President Felicia Conlan, standing in front of a gray portrait background." width="960" height="621" srcset=" 300w, 768w, 960w" sizes="(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px" /><p class="wp-caption-text">快活林性息 Alumni Association President Felicia Conlan. Photo by Lee Choo.</p></div>
<p>快活林性息 is not Felicia Conlan鈥檚 middle name. It鈥檚 her maiden name (at least, phonetically):聽<em>Sison</em>.</p>
<p>So perhaps it was destiny that led Felicia Sison Conlan 鈥�09 (M.S., Communicative Disorders/Teaching Credential),<strong>聽</strong>Ed.D. 鈥�17聽(Educational Leadership and Policy Studies) down the long and winding road to this moment: This summer, Conlan took the helm as president of the <a href="; target="_blank">快活林性息 Alumni Association</a> 鈥� leading one of the nation鈥檚 largest alumni families, at 400,000 strong. A speech-language pathologist by training, expert in communicative disorders and Doctor of Education, passionate advocate for Los Angeles schoolchildren and dedicated mom (<em>and</em>聽proud soon-to-be-grandmother), Conlan is thrilled for the opportunity to lead her fellow Matadors as Alumni president. In fact, as the old saying goes, no grass grows under Conlan鈥檚 feet.</p>
<p>In July and August, Conlan jumped into her duties and rallied the 快活林性息 Alumni board members, as they kicked off a new fiscal year and exciting new academic year for the university.</p>
<p>鈥淲e have a diverse board of alumni volunteers, including alumni chapter leaders eager to make an impact 鈥� especially now that we are back to in-person interactions,鈥� Conlan said.</p>
<p>鈥淚 met with each college dean and other campus leaders to listen to their perceptions of the Alumni Association, and to discuss how we can collaborate going forward,鈥� she continued. 鈥淭he Alumni Association recently moved from a dues-paying model to a non-dues-paying model, so the opportunity to get involved is much greater.鈥� Alumni can join up to three alumni chapters at no cost, and faculty and staff who are alumni can join the Homegrown alumni networking group, she added.</p>
<p>鈥淥ur major challenge is, how do you get 400,000 people involved? [Our answer is] MAPS 鈥� mentoring, advocacy, professional development, and socializing and networking,鈥� Conlan said. 鈥淭his is what our Alumni Association offers. We are aligned with President Erika D. Beck鈥檚 鈥�<a href=" Map to the Future</a>,鈥� which includes enhancing community connections.</p>
<p>鈥淪o many of our alumni live and work throughout Southern California. However, we really would like to get more of our alumni, wherever they are, to be 鈥榣oud and proud鈥� Matadors,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to hear about and celebrate their achievements. We have many highly successful alumni in various professions who can inspire our students and graduates.鈥�</p>
<p>Conlan recounted some of the many times she鈥檚 walked into Los Angeles businesses, wearing a 快活林性息 sweatshirt, only to spark conversations and connections with alumni and students of all ages. 鈥淲e鈥檙e also globally connected,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e want to engage with more students early on, so they feel a sense of pride in our university and would naturally want to join the alumni network.鈥�</p>
<p>Conlan knows this not only firsthand, but as a Matador parent as well: Her youngest son, Riley 鈥�18 (Communication Studies), played baseball for the Matadors. He now coaches in college baseball. Her eldest son, Brady, served as the director of player development for the 快活林性息 Baseball team and now coaches for a Triple-A affiliate in Major League Baseball.</p>
<p><strong>鈥楨xpanding and Unlocking My Curiosity鈥�</strong></p>
<p>Her own path as a Matador, she said, was less traditional and direct.</p>
<p>The middle child of nine siblings, Conlan was born in the Philippines. Her parents had met in Minnesota, where her mom was a Fulbright Scholar in biochemistry and her father was studying to be an ophthalmologist. Later, the family emigrated to the Los Angeles area.</p>
<p>鈥淚鈥檓 an immigrant who grew up in Inglewood. I went to school at UCLA, studying political science, public administration and urban studies,鈥� Conlan said. She was an active campus leader as an undergraduate, and she鈥檚 still active in her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. 鈥淚 enjoyed my collegiate experiences and studied abroad, where I learned to become more fluent in Spanish,鈥� she added.</p>
<p>Later, while working as an award-winning TV journalist, she met her late husband, Bobby, who was a director<strong>聽</strong>at CBS2 KCAL9 News Los Angeles.<strong>聽</strong>The couple married and had two sons, and Conlan left television to be a stay-at-home mom. She actively participated in parent groups and even became a Little League manager and coach.</p>
<p>鈥淢y grandmother always said in Spanish, 鈥�<em>El saber no ocupa lugar,鈥櫬�</em>which roughly translates to 鈥楰nowledge doesn鈥檛 take up space,鈥欌�� Conlan said. 鈥淎 dear friend had suggested I explore speech-language pathology, so I took one class, and I loved it.鈥�</p>
<p>She decided to 鈥済o back to school鈥� and enrolled in 快活林性息鈥檚 highly competitive master鈥檚 program in communicative disorders. 鈥淢y education and training prepared me for our broad scope of practice in speech-language pathology,鈥� she said. Conlan juggled raising her children while attending classes.聽鈥淚t was full time, very rigorous and challenging,鈥� she added.</p>
<p>鈥淚 found my brain was just expanding and unlocking my curiosity 鈥� I learned about neuroanatomy, early child development, hearing science, speech and language disorders across the lifespan, and so much more,鈥� Conlan said.</p>
<p>She landed a job as a speech-language pathologist with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).聽Working in schools, Conlan unlocked her true passion.</p>
<p>鈥淓very day that I go to work, there鈥檚 the possibility I can make a difference in the life of a child,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he joy in their face when they gain the ability to finally say something they鈥檝e always wanted to say is incredibly rewarding. I really enjoy getting a chance to work with kids.鈥�</p>
<p>Conlan became president of the 快活林性息 Communication Disorders and Sciences (CDS) Alumni Association shortly after graduating from the master鈥檚 program. She was recognized with the 快活林性息 Alumni Volunteer Service Award, the CDS Alumni Chapter Distinguished Alumni award, and as Chapter Leader of the Year.</p>
<p>She cherished the opportunity to help the chapter grow, Conlan said. From there, she got involved in the statewide professional association, the California Speech Language Hearing Association, as well as the national American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.</p>
<p><strong>Called to Lead</strong></p>
<p>As it turned out, 快活林性息 鈥� and its classrooms and labs 鈥� were not done with her.</p>
<p>鈥淥ne of my supervisors had gone through the Ed.D. program at 快活林性息 and recommended it,鈥� Conlan said. During a difficult period聽(after the death of her husband),<strong>聽</strong>she completed her doctoral work in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.</p>
<p>鈥淚t was tough losing my husband, but I felt inspired and determined to become Dr. Conlan,鈥� she said.</p>
<p>With the support of her family and mentors, Conlan persisted. Her dissertation examined college club-sports athletes and their return to school after a sports-related concussion 鈥� a significant issue facing student-athletes and their families. She has presented internationally on the topic with colleagues from 快活林性息 and other CSUs.</p>
<p>鈥溈旎盍中韵� has been a place where I鈥檝e gotten a lot of support, a chance to develop my sense of self, and to partner with people who have enlightened me on what鈥檚 possible. The professors want you to succeed,鈥� she said. 鈥淣ow, as president of the 快活林性息 Alumni Association, I have this honor to carry on the legacy of outstanding predecessors and to build and nurture relationships across generations.鈥�</p>
<p>Following the example of 鈥済iving back鈥� set by her parents and her family, Conlan said, she is excited for what this two-year term as Alumni president will bring.</p>
<p>鈥淲e are truly elated about partnering with the 快活林性息 Foundation Board to engage more alumni. Matadors can be found everywhere, and this is a call to action,鈥� Conlan said.</p>
<p>What鈥檚 her message for Matador alumni today?</p>
<p>鈥淲e are looking for our alumni to be the difference makers, the change makers, the thought leaders and innovators,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou know who you are: Business leaders, community leaders, CEOs 鈥� <a href="; target="_blank">we need your help to invest in 快活林性息</a>, to help us build and grow and enhance the student experience and thereby create a viable, vibrant and vital community to solve local, regional and global challenges.</p>
<p>鈥溈旎盍中韵� was an opportunity for me to grow as a returning student,鈥� she reflected. 鈥淣ow I鈥檓 giving back my gifts, as Shellie Hadvina (快活林性息 associate vice president of alumni relations and development) would say 鈥� you can give your time, talent or treasure.鈥�</p>
<p>In the case of this 快活林性息-destined Sison (Conlan), it seems to be all of the above.</p>
快活林性息 is not Felicia Conlan鈥檚 middle name. It鈥檚 her maiden name (at least, phonetically):聽Sison. So perhaps it was destiny that...