Volunteering & Involvement
A resume can never tell the full story, and these are some stories worth telling. Here's a glimpse into some of the experiences that have shaped me into who I am, both personally and professionally. They include my academic engagement throughout my college career and volunteer work that has been a part of my life for over a decade.
Academic Engagement
I had the opportunity to be an undergraduate panelist at the Central States Communication Association conference in April of 2025 for a discussion on Social Emotional Learning. During the session, I described how I saw students grow in SEL skills in the classroom based on my experience as a Teaching Assistant, meaningfully engaging with the SEL model and applying it to a real world setting.
Study Abroad
In January 2025, I had the opportunity to study and serve in Budapest, Hungary, for the month. My classmates and I spent each morning taking an Intercultural Communication class, followed by service activities that included feeding the homeless, partnering with a local Salvation Army, and visiting high schools to help students practice English. This experience taught me how to function through language barriers and expanded my understanding of culture.
The Red Carpet
In 2020, I created an Instagram page that supported the upcoming release of The Baxters, a Prime Video TV series based off of one of my favorite book series by New York Times best-selling author, Karen Kingsbury. I quickly built a following of Baxter fans and worked to share the latest news about the show's release as we bonded over our love for the books. While the show ended up being significantly delayed, I built relationships with the actors and Karen Kingsbury that led to receiving an invitation to attend Kingsbury's red carpet premiere of the series in April of 2024 in Franklin, Tennessee. It was incredible to see a simple passion project turn in to such a unique and exciting opportunity.
Literacy
I am featured in this 2023 local news report about our sale, describing details about our operations.
In high school, I joined the Anderson Township Library Association, a nonprofit that puts on an annual used book sale in support of my local library, bringing in over $40,000 anually. I participated in weekly sorting of donated materials, making pricing decisions, labeling, and packing items appropriately. After beginning my college career I could no longer attend weekly sorting, but still continue to assist with the summer sale, including heavy lifting, set-up, organizing, cashiering, and tear-down. Reading has always been a love of mine, and I enjoy sharing it with others.
Food Aid
During my entire high school career, I assisted a local church with collecting and delivering food donation from restaurants to food pantries in the area once a week. Every week, after receiving car loads full of food, we would sort, repackage, and drop them off at various locations in the local community. I also occasionally assisted with the church's bread runs, which entailed arriving at a local bread depot at 4:00 a.m. to receive around $1,600 worth of bread donations that we would spend the next 10-12 hours delivering to local food pantries and churches. I valued my time doing foods runs and felt the tangible, physical impact I was making in the community.
Other Volunteering
Front Desk Check-In Assistant
Grant County, Indiana Special Olympics
February 7, 2026
​
Redsfest Autograph Booth Leader
Cincinnati Reds
January 16-17, 2026
Academy Shepherd
Uncommon Sports Group
April – June, 2025
​
Athlete Drug Testing Assistant
NCAA DII Track & Field Championships
March 15, 2025
Front Desk Check-In Assistant
Grant County, Indiana Special Olympics
February 22, 2025
Redsfest Sponsor/Vendor Escort
Cincinnati Reds
December 2, 2023