Student Affairs
The following experiences are a sample of my more noteworthy work within student affairs, and they reflect my leading interests in college access, persistence, and completion, particularly among
traditionally underserved and “nontraditional” student populations.
NCSU Personal
Office Food Pantry
Spring 2022
Upon learning that 23% of NC State students have experienced food insecurity since the COVID-19 pandemic began, I used my own funds to create an office food pantry for my advisees to use in the event that they are ever food insecure. My hope is that this food pantry serves as a stopgap for my advisees to use whilst on NCSU’s Centennial Campus, as Centennial Campus does not currently offer a centralized food pantry for students to access. Afterwards, I intend to connect them to NCSU's Feed the Pack Food Pantry on Main Campus, which is continually restocked and funded through the University.
Then, depending on student need and the success of my own office pantry, I plan to spearhead the creation of a much larger, college-wide food pantry that is stocked and funded through the Wilson College of Textiles.
Duke University
Unpacking
Afro-Latinx Identity
February 2018
As graduate assistant for Duke University's Center for Multicultural Affairs, I coordinated one of the University’s first Afro-Latinx focused events as a way to serve and bring greater visibility to students of color not yet represented within Duke’s various campus community centers. Among these groups were Duke's Afro-Latinx students, many of whom expressed feelings of isolation and marginalization even within those spaces specifically designed for students of color.
I oversaw all planning for the event, which consisted of viewing and discussing video clips I curated from the documentary, Black in Latin America, followed by a Q&A panel of Afro-Latinx student speakers.
As part of my higher education administration master’s program, I participated in a collaborative partnership with NC State's TRiO office to help plan and execute a one-day conference for NCSU TRiO students. Federally funded initiatives designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, TRiO programs assist low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle-school to post-baccalaureate programs.
The Fall 2017 conference theme was “Unlock Your Hero Potential,” and the conference itself included nine individual sessions on topics ranging from interview strategies, to combating misinformation in an era of so-called “fake” news, to mediating feelings of self-doubt. My role consisted of coordinating and managing conference logistics alongside NCSU’s Student Support Services TRiO staff.
NCSU TRiO Collegiate Conference
November 2017
WPU NC Community College Transfer Advisors' Breakfast
February 2017
In an effort to increase awareness of William Peace University among North Carolina community colleges and thereby bolster transfer student recruitment, I and WPU’s adult and professional studies admissions counselor established WPU’s annual Transfer Advisors’ breakfast, wherein NC community college transfer advisors visit campus to learn about WPU’s academic programs, articulation agreements, and unique offerings specific to transfer students.
I and the adult and professional studies admissions counselor oversaw all planning for the event, from identifying and subsequently inviting transfer advisors to attend, to organizing faculty presenters and presentation materials, to preparing information packets and supervising set-up. Additionally, we too presented about the transfer enrollment process and financial aid available to transfer students.
UNC-Chapel Hill
Warrior-Scholar Project
June 2015
I participated in the inaugural Warrior-Scholar Project program held at my alma mater: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) is an immersive one- to two-week college-preparatory academic “boot camp” that provides enlisted military veterans with a skills bridge that enables a successful transition from the battlefield to the classroom. Participants are introduced to analytic reading, writing, and other academic and everyday skills crucial to success in higher education, and they also learn about the many challenges student-veterans sometimes experience during their transition from military service to college.
I served as an academic tutor for the program's duration, attending every faculty-led seminar, workshop, and team-building activity alongside program participants. My role was to supplement formal instruction, providing one-on-one assistance with assignments and offering my own college experiences as additional insight into the life of a college student.