Outside of my education and work life, I enjoy a variety of activities and hold many passions. I have always maintained a love for traveling, photography, and experiencing new places. Furthermore, I have an entrepreneurial spirit which fuels my passion for creating art like jewelry and clothing pieces. Amongst all of my interests, I spend most of my time volunteering as it not only benefits the community, but brings me joy. 

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I had the pleasure of volunteering with the nonprofit organization Girls On The Run where we taught young girls between third and eighth grade a thirteen-week-long curriculum about physical and emotional health. Being a coach for Girls On The Run, not only sparked my interest in teaching, but helped me realize my true passion for helping others. When I was asked to join this organization, I was incredibly nervous and felt that this role was well outside of my comfort zone, but little did I know that it would change my life for the better. During this time, I taught different lessons consisting of activities, journal reflections, group projects, and each week the lesson built upon the last. It was a journey of watching these young girls open up to their teammates, learn more about themselves, and form connections with their coaches. When I began coaching, I had never considered the idea of studying education; however, I knew taking on a second minor in this this field would only strengthen my communication skills and leadership abilities. 

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In addition, I created and taught a course about financial literacy to high school students who sought to learn about things their specific school did not offer them. In this course, I created a lesson plan consisting of PowerPoint presentations, activities, and worked with students one on one to meet their needs. The lesson plan included information about student loans, credit, and even how to manage one's own finances. I created and taught this course in an attempt to prepare students for the world outside of high school, where they might pursue higher education. I provided them with the tools and knowledge they might need to set themselves up for success in the future. These students voluntarily attended the courses because they had a desire to learn about financial literacy in a way that would benefit their needs as soon-to-be graduates. 

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Some other volunteer work I have completed includes working with Habitat for Humanity as well as Project Sunshine. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit that works to build homes for those in need and make a difference in people's lives. In this organization, I learned about the process, people who are in need of assistance, and advocacy. Working with this organization opened my eyes to the reality of some people's lives and inspired me to want to make a long -lasting impact on others. Project Sunshine is an organization that seeks to bring joy to pediatric patients by engaging in activities with them, providing activity kits, and even creating crafts for the patients. The main goal of this organization is to bring happiness to children who are facing tough health challenges and in the process, establish connections with the patients. This opportunity allowed me to help make children's time spent in the hospital a little more enjoyable even if that was by crafting simple decorations for the hospital.