Outreach & Service

Through the NC State Alternative Service Break (ASB) program, I traveled twice to Hoonah, Alaska, a small island community 30 miles off the coast of Juneau. There, I taught high school biology, engaged in community service, and participated in cultural immersion with the Tlingit people. The Tlingit, who have faced repeated displacement from climate change and habitat loss, remain resilient stewards of their ancestral lands. Working alongside them deepened my commitment to STEM education in underserved areas and strengthened my resolve to connect environmental research with the needs of communities on the front lines of environmental change.

I was a counselor for SATELLITE, a week-long STEM outreach and leadership program led by the Caldwell Fellows for high school students from across North Carolina, many from under-resourced and rural counties. For many campers, it was their first time on a college campus. I supervised and mentored a small group, helped facilitate workshops and activities, and supported the program’s goal of building both technical curiosity and leadership skills in the next generation of STEM students.

Through the U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, I’ve worked on a range of field and community projects aimed at turning environmental data into actionable tools. During one of our field intensives in the mountains, I assisted National Park Service biologists with electrofishing surveys in the Blue Ridge Parkway and collaborated with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to address water quality concerns. These experiences have strengthened my ability to apply science in ways that directly support communities facing urgent environmental challenges.