Undergraduate Student at the University of Delaware
Campus Involvement
Blue Hen Leadership Program
August 2017 - Present
The Blue Hen Leadership Program (BHLP) is a four-tiered experiential leadership development program I joined going into my first year of college. Through BHLP I have learned how to articulate my values, strengths, and leadership style as well as the way to apply these skills when working in teams and in organizations. I have also participated in additional service and leadership opportunities offered within this program.
Women and Gender Equity
Wilmington, North Carolina
Community Collaborations International
​
Urban Revitalization- Baltimore, Maryland
ToolBank
Alternative Break
Volunteer
Baltimore, Maryland
Spring 2018
Alternative Break
Service Leader
Wilmington, North Carolina
January 2019
I co-led a trip of 6 BHLP students eager to learn more about service on an alternative break trip to Wilmington, North Carolina. The focus of our service was on the connection between women and gender and disaster relief, which showed the way those with oppressed identities experience disasters differently. We partnered with Habitat for Humanity and the Wilmington Food Bank to provide disaster relief from Hurricane Florence. This experience taught me how to adapt, which has helped me in team settings and life learn how to make the best out of the unexpected. Along with this, I learned how to work collaboratively, lead effectively, facilitate team bonding, and lead discussions.
​
Gamma Sigma Sigma is a community service sorority I joined in the Spring of 2018. Through this organization, I have volunteered with over 14 nonprofits and community partners in New Castle County Delaware. Service opportunities have included volunteering with AI duPont Children's Hospital, assisting special needs individuals to participate in healthy activities, and leaning up trash on campus. This experience taught me the direct impact service can have on transforming communities. Within this organization, I served in two different executive board positions.
As Service Auditor in Fall 2019, I tracked the service hours for over 200 sisters and 50 new members. I also managed a committee of 14 individuals to coordinate service opportunities for each o the 14 nonprofits we worked with. This experience taught me how to delegate tasks, work in a team, and time management skills.
​
Seeking to take on more responsibility, I became Service Vice President for Fall 2020. In this position, I have shifted from tracking hours to creating new service opportunities for our organization. As a result of COVID-19, all service opportunities became virtual, challenging me to produce virtual service for members to complete. I worked alongside the Service Auditor to make a 'Virtual Service Packet' so members could continue to complete service from home. Along with this, I started discussion-based service events aimed at educating members on different social justice issues. In weekly, hourly long Zoom sessions, I lead discussions on topics ranging from Intersectionality in Feminism, to the importance of Civic Engagement. This role has allowed me to develop resiliency and creativity, beneficial to all future endeavors as no projects come without challenges
Gamma Sigma Sigma
February 2018- Present
Fall 2020 executive board being virtually transferred into our new positions.
Virtual Service Packet created for members for Fall 2020. This was updated weekly with new opportunities and allowed members to complete 15 service hours without risking health during Covid-19.
Blue Hen Ambassador
January 2018 - Present
As a Blue Hen Ambassador, I give tours to prospective and admitted students at the University of Delaware. Through this job I have learned how to communicate my experiences as a student to provide, adapt tours to diverse groups, and be comfortable speaking to new people. This experience has made me a better speaker, and more confident in speaking in front of crowds. Being a tour guide is also, at its core, an experience about serving others. My job is to provide individuals with the information they need to make a decision about applying or committing to the University of Delaware. There is nothing better than knowing what you have done makes a difference, and seeing students choose the place you call home because of you is an incredibly rewarding experience.
Welcome Ambassador
Spring 2018 - August 2019
As a Welcome Ambassador, I helped to run activities for 1743 Welcome Days- an extended new student orientation weekend that takes place before the semester starts. In this role, I collaborated with other students to lead over 30 events to help students transition to the University. I was a Welcome Ambassador for two years, and the second year I became a student leader in the program. In this position, I oversaw a team of other Welcome Ambassadors through providing support, answering questions, and organizing icebreakers to facilitate team bonding.
My campus involvements have been the highlight of my college experience, and I'm so grateful for the opportunities I have had to explore my interests outside of the classroom while gaining leadership and service experience. Through developing my leadership identity in BHLP, I am able to guide teams more effectively by utilizing my strengths of relationship building, strategic thinking, and executing. My hands-on service in both BHLP and Gamma Sigma Sigma has allowed me to see the impact of direct service on creating positive change, critical to developing my passion and desire to go into public service. Facilitating discussions in these organizations has further given me the ability to lead conversations on difficult topics, which will be helpful for any team I am apart of moving forward. Lastly, my leadership roles working for the University of Delaware have allowed me to help other students transition to and learn about the university I love.
​
The University of Delaware has given me the opportunity to learn about my leadership capabilities, my passions, and my professional identity in ways I could not have imagined as a Senior in High School. Through these experiences, I have gained personal insight into who I am, and the way my unique strengths, skills, and values can be utilized to be impactful in the lives of those around me. I cannot imagine who I would be without these involvements, and I hope to continue my passion for service developed through these experiences by continuing to volunteer and work with nonprofits moving forward.