GLASS Windows

Commitment to Service, Leadership, Professional Development, and Academic Excellence

Commitment to Service

Building community through service is the core of any public-sector career. As a transplant student in a bustling urban metropolis like NYC, it was important for me to ground myself in service opportunities both provided by university programming, but also directly sought out and expanded on by my own relationship building. Aside from one-of weekend pitch-ins that I'm always happy to aid with, my foremost paths for service were environmental stewardship and community food events primarily through Bronx River Alliance and Xavier Mission. During my time at NYU, I was able to build tenure and great rapport with these organizations especially.

Bronx River Alliance: Working with a local Bronx community org on park clean-up, community events, water quality stewardship and recreational events to nurture the relationship between the local community and the Bronx River ecosystem.
Xavier Mission: Assisting monthly or bi-weekly with Sunday Meal Service at their Soup Kitchen, here were nourished many unhoused and lower-income residents while nurturing relationships of service in kindness. A favorite saying from a mentor I met here, is to "be a land of yes in a world of no", showing the genuine compassion we brought to the service here, and how we treat every guest.

Leadership

Throughout my time in college, I've embraced various leadership roles that really highlight how I support myself, my peers, and our community. I'm proud of the way I've managed to bring people together to chase down common goals, whether that's in advocacy, research, or student life. Take my work in the Bronx, for instance. I teamed up with South Bronx Unite to delve into city policies and make our voices heard with the Army Corps of Engineers during key hearings. This wasn't just about making noise; it was about making a difference, and it gave me a taste of how powerful community advocacy can be.

On campus, I led a team of Tandon students in researching food insecurity, putting together a solid set of research and resources that city organizations can now build on. As a Resident Assistant, I was a key leader among my peers for winning union representation, helping to unite and empower my coworkers. And in my campus programs, I’ve always been outspoken on difficult issues and pushed admin for changes in the best interest of my peers.

Campaigning in D.C. was another way I connected with community concerns directly. Talking to residents about possible positive changes and actually engaging with their concerns on the ground added a whole new layer to my understanding of effective communication and community involvement. Each of these experiences, combined with consistent activism for local and global issues, has shaped my approach to leadership: It’s all about being actively involved and pushing for progress, whether that’s on campus or in the community.

Leading RAs on Campus delivering our petition for unionization

Professional Development

Electrify DC: The mission of Electrify DC is to decarbonize all homes in DC. As both a sustainability intern and engagement associate for the non-profit, I operate in many disciplines on this multi-faceted mission. I assist our solar hosting capacity study with DC planning, sustainability, data analysis, and land-use knowledge. I use my background in community-engaged research and hometown knowledge, sensibility, and sociabilities to engage residents on clean electrification by creating surveys, events, and educational media to prime the community for decarbonization.

NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development: Working in their Policy Development and Strategic Initiatives(PDSI) unit, my 6 months with HPD was my first experience in a local government agency. I learned a significant amount about NYC Municipal bureaucracy and all the ways we can leverage public institutions for public research and change. I laid the foundation of my eventual capstone project through this internship with my Sustainability Analysis of NYC's Historic Preservation System and HPD's role in improving present issues.

Columbia Resilient Coastal Communities Project: Working at Columbia's Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) under Columbia Climate School was the most impactful internship for how I approach urban issues and engagement with public service. Through 10 weeks of community-engaged advocacy, learning, and research, I built strong professional and community ties on coastal and resource sustainability struggles in the South Bronx while adding to the local org's strategies and toolset on flood preparedness strategies from the city.

The GovLab: In my first non-profit working environment, essentially a public-sector consulting firm, I learned collaborative governance and virtual networking skills that led to my contributions to their "Solving Public Problems" course and newsletter. This internship was under my Professor, Beth Noveck, whom I'd met and grown under through the course.

NYU Resident Assistant: As an NYU resident assistant for 2 years, I've been tasked with community building and engagement through multiple avenues of hall service, event planning, and consistent outreach as a vital residential resource in my dorm environment. I also collaborate with a team of other RAs, campus safety, facilities services, and admin to facilitate a safe and welcoming environment.

Academic Excellence