For my capstone project  (completed in spring 2026), I collaborated with a team to develop and present an educational campaign on conscious consumerism. We created this presentation to focus on how everyday purchasing decisions impact the environment as a whole. Our goal was to inform campus students about the effects of overconsumption and encourage more intentional, sustainable shopping behaviors. We designed and delivered a final piece that combined research, real-world examples, self-made advertisements, and practical strategies/tips to inspire both attitude and behavior change. We presented this to students and staff at IU Indianapolis and administered a post-event survey to gather takeaways and attitude changes.

Throughout the project, completion I gained hands-on experience in creating and administering surveys, then analyzing those results to shape our messaging and presentation tactics to better resonate with our audiences. I also strengthened my skills in research and collaboration as I was working closely with my group to develop cohesive content. We really wanted to deliver an engaging final presentation and that we did! This experience taught me the ability to translate complex information into clear, impactful communication while reinforcing my interest in strategic messaging. This was an entirely audience-focused campaign and I love to be able to inform others on relevant, real-world topics.

This group project (completed in spring 2024) looked into helping Indianapolis' homeless problem through social media and volunteerism. My group created an Instagram account that shared the facts and figures of the city's homelessness problem, infographics on how to help, various reflections of our time volunteering, and also provided resources to people interested in getting involved. We posted QRs code leading to the account around popular places on campus, such as Campus Center and Cavanaugh Hall.  Furthermore, we also orchestrated an effort towards volunteering at two dinner services at Wheeler Mission. We each individually journaled about our thoughts before and after our time volunteering; we also included our first impressions of the overall experience. Both the Instagram and volunteer effort worked interdependently on one another. 

In regards to communication, I learned how to put communication in action from research and planning to execution. I also was able to demonstrate bringing about positive change in the community using communication. Our group worked to spread awareness and advocate for volunteerism throughout the entirety of this project. As a result, we informed our audiences about the homelessness problem. We also were successful in gathering more volunteers, as two different sororities made plans to visit Wheeler Mission following our project's completion. I also learned how to work collaboratively in a group, as this group project had mutliple aspects that required different member contributions.

Volunteering here was my first volunteer experience in college and it left a lasting impression.  This project truly brought the idea of working in a non-profit or volunteer setting to my radar. I found so much fulfillment and enjoyment from this project that I am now considering following the same path in the future. Find more information about volunteering at the link to the left.