I first ventured onto the Higher Education path when I moved to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, a residential high school where all students are required to engage in a minimum of 3 hours of campus service per week (I quickly found myself in the role of Residence Life Assistant). I continued my involvement in residence life and student government in college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduating, I explored the realm of College Access with the National College Advising Corps, developing a network and pathway for underrepresented youth to get to college. Next, I returned to residence life as a live-in Community Director at Guilford College, and also became an academic advisor for at-risk students. I then took the next step: enrolling in the Higher Education Student Affairs graduate program at Indiana University Bloomington (IU).

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At IU, I am the Graduate Assistant for Programming and Leadership, which is a live-on position reporting to the Assistant Director for Student Involvement and Orientation. Hosted by the Residential Programs and Services (RPS) department, I am responsible for designing and teaching first-year and transfer-student leadership courses, representing and supervising two late-night programming spaces, and advising state, regional, and national conference delegations for the IU Residence Halls Association. In addition, I serve as a resource for student staff on issues related to leadership, coordinating workshops and supplemental trainings for student organizations and individual students in the Community and Leadership Development Center (CLDC). I have also engaged in several other meaningful experiences, including an internship with the Association of College Unions International, and conducting research on enagement in student organizations and how that influences international students' sense of belonging to their college campus.

Finding outlets beyond and connections to higher education have led me to several wonderful discoveries and commitments. I have joined a (Jewish) a capella group at IU that fulfills my musical and religious needs. I have also prioritized making time to do things that bring me personal joy, including cooking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family (even if it is over the phone). Most importantly, I have moved into the next phase in my relationship with JP, my fiance. We recently became engaged and are planning our future together!

My professional goals include continuing my role on a college campus or system, advocating for student experiences that will supplement their educational endeavors and prepare them for life post-college, and contributing to literature for student affairs educators (perhaps on leadership development; I have not defined my exact research topic just yet). These goals are further explained in The Future section of this ePortfolio, where I connect my accomplishments with long-term goals.