Meet Me

Hi, I’m Zoe.  I am a student at American University in Washington, DC. I am pursuing a BA in Justice and Law with a concentration in Criminology. I am also obtaining a certificate of Community-Based Research and a certificate of Advanced Leadership Studies through the School of Public Affairs (SPA).

Originally from a rural town near Lancaster, PA, I learned the strength of a close community. Since coming to American, I have strived to create the same styles of communities. As a member of both the SPA Leadership Program and Community-Based Research Scholars Program, I am surrounded by like-minded peers who inspire me to master my own leadership style and ethical research methods. I also serve my campus community as a Teaching Assistant within the SPA Leadership Program. Every week, I and a group of first-years hone our leadership skills and develop a social action project in the area of racial injustice. Within my DC community, I am a literacy tutor for elementary-aged students across two elementary schools. I am also a Driven Student Guide at Raising a Village where I serve as a mentor and tutor to K-12 students. I work alongside students to improve their reading skills to set them up to achieve their full potential.

I find strength in serving people who care. People motivate me to make a change, especially in the areas of education and criminal justice. I aspire to work with no-entry programs with children to prevent entrance into the juvenile justice system. On the flip side of that coin, I want to also improve re-entry programs for adults who have been incarcerated. I believe no human being, no matter how small, should ever be treated as a lost cause.