Experience

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  Teen court

  Sept 2008 - Apr 2012

  Volunteer 'attorney'

  Teen Court gives young people who commit misdemeanors the chance to clear their charges by being sentenced to community service hours by a jury of young people who volunteer for this program. Volunteered as a lead defense ‘attorney’ representing these young people and advocating for more lenient community service sentences.

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  'international market'

  Nov 2008 - Dec 2011

  Co-director of non-profit venture

  A student-run market at the high school in the months preceding Christmas time selling exclusively fair trade goods (a variety of objects, from food to jewelry to sculptures) as a part of a mission to create international consciousness in the community and to support artisans worldwide who otherwise would be unable to continue their craft.As coordinator junior and senior year, my personal responsibilities including ordering products, maintaining communication with fair trade companies such as the Tibetan Collection, Servv, and Mountcastle, marketing to the community, and staffing the market. Show less

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  Florida gulf coast university

  Apr 2009 - Aug 2009

  Science mentoring

  Mentored middle school students as part of a summer ecological research program on-campus at Florida Gulf Coast University exploring the long-term effect of wildfires on forest growth.

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  Voices of tomorrow

  Jan 2010 - Dec 2010

  Student journalist

  Wrote headlining articles about the proposed nuclear repository in Yucca Mountain and the impact of the Gulf Oil spill on Louisiana fisherman, complete with interviews with specialists, in a now-closed, student driven e-magazine.

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  St. charles borremo middle school

  Oct 2010 - Feb 2012

  Model un mentoring at local middle school

  Organized and led a mentoring initiative (volunteer-based) to create and assist the MUN team of a local middle school, specifically in the areas of international affairs, researching, and public speaking.

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  Charlotte sports park

  Apr 2011 - Sept 2011

  Concession stand cashier

  Concession stand cashier 8 hours per week.

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  Shark’s fish house restaurant

  Nov 2011 - Aug 2012

  Waitress

  Waitressed 16 hours per week.

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  Harvard center for american political science

  Nov 2012 - Dec 2013

  Mentorship for american political science (maps program)

  Selected by the Center for American Political Science to study with a sociology department mentor. Read, annotated, and discussed academic literature about urban poverty, deindustrialization, andeconomic inequality in America.

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  Harvard national model united nations

  Mar 2013 - Feb 2014

  Committee director

  Directing the Legal Committee

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  Harvard model united nations

  Mar 2013 - Jan 2014

  Committee director

  Directing the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

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  Harvard world model united nations

  May 2013 - May 2013

  Committee director

  Directing the Special, Political, and Decolonization Committee

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  Harvard international relations council

  May 2013 - Nov 2014

  Chair for the board of social impact

  Elected by Board of Director of Harvard College’s largest undergraduate organization-Oversaw the social impact initiatives undertaken by the IRC-Coordinated relations between the IRC and the United Nations Youth Council-Established the mandate of the board in its inaugural years

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  Harvard model united nations

  Mar 2014 - Jan 2015

  Under-secretary general of the economic and social committees

  Led an entirely student-run Model UN conference for 3,200 high school students in January 2015 to teach skills of diplomacy, debate, and public speaking through international relations.-Directly managed a staff of 30 college students serving as committee leaders-Edited and published 600 pages of policy briefings-Managed a partnership with the UN Foundation of Boston-Led a fundraising initiative that raised +$10,000 for the Foundation for Sustainable Development

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  Harvard university

  Aug 2015 - Dec 2016

  Funded to conduct independent field research in Cape Town, South Africa, towards the completion of the senior thesis project "Death and Taxis: Violence, Sovereignty, and the Politics of Mobility in Postapartheid South Africa." Project awarded the Philip Wamba Prize for the Best Thesis in African Studies as well as the Thomas Temple Hoopes Prize, Harvard's highest undergraduate thesis award. Engaged in weekly conversations about social justice in undergraduate dorms; coordinated film screenings and community conversations around current events

  • Undergraduate Research Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs

    Apr 2016 - Dec 2016

  • Liason, Racial and Social Justice Program

    Aug 2015 - Dec 2016
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  Helvetas swiss intercooperation

  Mar 2017 - Jun 2017

  Research intern

  • Conducted advocacy work & research for development projects supporting rural livelihoods• Donor mapping and document preparation for the "Resilient Agricultural" project• Supported finance, administration, and communication departments with clerical/archival tasks

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  Legal services nyc

  Aug 2017 - Aug 2019

  Works as an advocate for victims of intimate-partner violence in a full range of family law cases, including divorce, custody/visitation, orders of protection, and child support, as well as providing support on issues that intersect with the criminal justice system and other civil legal proceedings through:• Direct Advocacy: Empowering survivors through trauma-informed advocacy in public benefits applications, ACS clearance cases, and preparing compensation claims through the New York State Office of Victim Services to assist clients transitioning out of economically abusive situations;• Legal Support: Conducting intakes and providing legal support to an interdisciplinary team of 4 lawyers, a social worker, and a therapy dog, while also independently managing an uncontested divorce caseload;• Community Outreach: Working with community partners and DV survivor organizations including local shelters, food banks, and the NYC Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence Show less Worked with the Legal Services Homeowner Defense Project to provide critical legal services to fight against the rising tide of foreclosure cases in the city by advocating for homeowners in foreclosure as well as assisting state and federal court litigation cases challenging predatory lending, abusive mortgage servicing, and fair housing and lending violations. • Case Management: Provided culturally-competent advocacy by working directly with a diverse set of low-income and working-class clients to save their homes from foreclosure; connecting homeowners with resources for loan reinstatement, emergency home repairs, and property tax exemptions; accessed over $500,000 in home-saving funds for clients• Legal Assistance: filed pro se answers and supported client representation in court-mandated settlement conferences; advised client on legal and financial matters related to foreclosure, including bankruptcy, property law, estate issues, reverse mortgages, and government benefits.• Client Advocacy: worked directly with banks and servicers and their legal counsel to negotiate loan modifications and payoff settlements; sought redress and accountability when confronted with abusive or discriminatory servicing practices by calling upon institutions such as the Attorney General's Office and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.• Community Outreach: conducted policy advocacy on fair lending, real estate finance issues, and eldercare issues; coordinating with relevant local actors, including elected officials, community housing organizations, and the NYC Departments of Finance and Environmental Protection.• Liaison for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Show less

  • Survivor Advocate and Legal Assistant

    Nov 2018 - Aug 2019

  • Homeowner Advocate and Legal Assistant

    Aug 2017 - Oct 2018
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  Legal momentum

  Aug 2019 - Jan 2021

  Legal Momentum, formerly the National Organization for Women (NOW) Legal Defense and Education Fund, is the nation's oldest non-profit legal organization fighting for gender justice and the rights of women and girls.• Impact Litigation: Worked with the Legal Department to support impact litigation affecting women's rights issues, including violence against women, equal educational opportunities, workplace discrimination, fairness in the courts, and human trafficking. • NJEP: Managed OVW grant and contributed original content to the National Judicial Education Program, which educates judges, attorneys, and court professionals about gender bias in the courtroom, particularly in cases of sexual assault and domestic violence. Facilitated the development of a model curriculum on Teen Dating Violence.• Women Valued: Assisted the Women Valued program in developing and distributing resources that empower women in low-wage work to learn about and utilize their workplace rights. Oversaw Spanish translation of resources.• Outreach: Supported website development, social media outreach, and the LM in Action newsletter.• Interns: Supervised law-student and undergraduate interns. Show less

  • Project Consultant

    Nov 2020 - Jan 2021

  • Program Associate

    Aug 2019 - Nov 2020
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  City colleges of chicago

  Feb 2021 - now

  Oversees districtwide education, training, and service delivery focused on preventing campus violence and addressing the effects of violence and crime on the CCC community. Serves as the primary representative of CCC’s antiviolence initiatives, including Project S.A.F.E. and the Survivor Advocacy Program, to support the institution’s commitment to promoting holistic students services that recognize the impact of trauma on student learning and promotes a culture of care and student wellness. Responsible for providing leadership on programming, education, and outreach on violence and services for victims. Pursues grant funding opportunities and provides strategic and operational oversight for $2.5 million in existing grant funds related to gender-based violence, community violence, and victim-of-crime services. Show less Directs Project S.A.F.E (Securing a Fear-Free Environment), a districtwide initiative serving the City Colleges of Chicago's seven independently accredited community colleges serving more than 70,000 students. The mission of Project S.A.F.E. is to reduce barriers to educational access by improving institutional capacity to prevent and address gender-based violence at the City Colleges through training and education, direct services and support, and community collaboration for survivor recovery. The project is funded by a grant from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.Project S.A.F.E. works to collaboratively develop and implement meaningful, engaging programs for the prevention of gender-based violence (focused on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking), as well as developing trauma-informed, survivor-centered protocols and services to support students who have been subjected to gender-based violence and ensure coordinated access to safety planning, counseling, medical support, and legal advocacy. Show less

  • District Director - Violence Prevention and Response

    Apr 2024 - now

  • Director, Project S.A.F.E

    Feb 2021 - Apr 2024