Starting my journey at American University, I was given the opportunity to join the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program. This extraordinary program consists of making lifelong friends and creating/implementing social action projects.
For my first year, I was grouped with 5 other talented young ladies. Our social action project was dedicated to Black and Brown students who were affected by the achievement gap. During the implementation of our project, I created an Instagram account so we can give information about the college process and financial aid. We all created posts for the Instagram account, about 2-3 times a month. I also decided to work for the Raising a Village Foundation to tutor students in marginalized communities. Tutoring the students of RAV had such a positive impact on me I decided to go a step further and lead my group into the process of donating supplies to over 200 students.
Click here to see a PDF of a summary of this project: Project Summary
Click here to see the Instagram Page for this project: EmpowerDC_edu
Click here to see a PDF of this project’s implementation: Project Task Responsibilities
For my second year, I am focused on Black incarcerated youth getting better financial and educational services. To help get Black incarcerated youth these services I volunteered at a nonprofit organization in DC that focuses on helping incarcerated Black youth. Then I created a blog about my experience and gained knowledge while volunteering for one of these organizations.
Click here to see my research: Policy Memo
Click here to see my Spring Action Plan: Spring Action Plan
Click here to see my Blog: The Advancement of Juvenile Justice & Black Youth
For my final year in the SPA Leadership program, I interned at Blueprint Schools Network. This organization is a nonprofit organization that uses a research-based framework of comprehensive reform strategies to accelerate student achievement in schools across the country. During my internship, I supported the academic and personal growth of my 8th-grade students at DC Prep. I lead small group math tutoring and goal-setting sessions and used data to track performance and improve math instruction. To build trust I integrated with the DC Prep community by meeting with staff and parents and participating in school events. What I learned from this internship is how to advance my leadership skills, demonstrate authority effectively, foster positive relationships between individuals, and refine my instructional skills.