Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, I knew I wanted to make a change. I realized my passion and desire for improving the lives of those around me through community service and leadership roles. During college, I made the connection that educating the public on pressing issues was the best way to shape our society into one that is fair for all people. Through advocacy, communication, education, organizing, and amplifying the voices of groups that feel unheard, I have found my place in helping marginalized groups regain their agency.
I worked with over 1,000 high school students ages 14-18 at the largest secondary school in Upper Austria. As an English Language teaching assistant, I used immersive learning methods to boost students' confidence by learning from a native speaker. I crafted comprehensive lesson plans by combining American culture with reading, listening, and speaking tasks. I designed over 15 Black history month lessons for teachers to use here forward. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had to transition to virtual learning for four months. During this time, I maximized the use of Microsoft Teams by making lesson materials and schedules accessible to my colleagues and also attending training sessions to become comfortable with the software. I also supported students with tutoring sessions to prepare for their final exams and raise their grade in English.
In this role, I worked with the press team at the bureau. I enhanced the bureaus Instagram page that had not been used in nearly 6 years by posting regular content and gaining over 500 followers in 4 months. I tracked the progress of user engagement on Instagram by creating analytical reports sent directly to the spokesperson. I also created a social media influencer database to engage with users focusing on refugees and migration. This project was to show the deputy secretary the impact that social media influencers have on the bureaus key issues.
I served over 12,000 students at the largest public Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the nation. In this role, I served as a member of the Board of Trustees and as a bridge between the students and administration. I sat on the Tuition and Fees committee where I successfully advocated for a decrease in out-of-state tuition from $102 to $51 for the 2021-2022 academic school year. I also successfully advocated for an early polling site for students who lived on a racially gerrymandered campus. I hosted a night shuttle ride for the Chancellor and his senior cabinet members to exhibit the need for more safety measures including more shuttles, lights around campus, and security presence at night. I successfully petitioned for more breakfast options through a student dining survey that received over 1500 entries. I created a policy guide for students to see the legislation and candidates they could vote for in the 2020 primary election.