Community Relations

“One voice can change a room, and if one voice can change a room, then it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world. Your voice can change the world.” ― Barack Obama

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to ideate, fundraise for and volunteer at community events. On every occasion, I enjoyed providing powerful programs and building sustainable relationships between mission-driven organizations and community members.

Boston University Giving Day 2025: Center For Stuttering Therapy Fund

For BU Giving Day 2025, I supported fundraising for the Center for Stuttering Therapy by writing and outlining the Center's first-ever fundraising initiative.

Supporting the research center's director, I acquired contributions from individual and corporate donors, aiding the hiring and training of additional supervisors to advance the Center's community reach.

The Center's growing client population and partnership with the National Stuttering Association's Boston chapter advances quality of life for people who stutter of all ages.

These critical funds enable the Center to continue delivering clinical speech therapy services and empowering clients to be competent and confident communicators – at no cost to clients and families.

Allen University Athletics

Working for the athletic department at Allen University, I enhanced the university's relations with the local community as the university transitioned to the NCAA.

During the winter and spring athletic seasons, I improved community awareness of the Yellow Jackets athletics programs by:

Ensuring live streams functioned properly while COVID-19 protocols prohibited in-person attendance
Recording stats on CBS Stat Crew during men's and women's home basketball competitions for fans to follow and visit during games
Compiling box scores and archiving statistics for SIAC and Allen University archives
Supporting photography archives for track and field competitions
Publishing 40 recaps of men's and women basketball games as the Yellow Jackets hosted peer HBCUs on campus in Columbia, SC
Writing feature articles promoting athletics leaders
Supported on-site event and digital media initiatives honoring 2020-2021 senior class
Responding to media inquiries to earn media coverage

Boston University's Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitative Sciences

Supporting the Center for Stuttering Therapy at Boston University, I welcomed advocate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to campus for a guest lecture.

Michael visited speech-language pathology program faculty and students in his outreach with US. universities, children's hospitals and elected officials.

To position the university as a leader in stuttering research and community engagement, I wrote the Sargent College story spotlighting Michael's visit. I profiled his professional journey to founder of Change & Impact, Inc. from Kentucky Wildcats NCAA champion and No. 2 overall NBA draft selection by the Charlotte Bobcats and owner Michael Jordan.

Sargent Welcomes Guest Speaker Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, NBA Veteran and NCAA Champion

Above all, I illustrated Michael and the university's shared commitment to expanding healthcare access, insurance coverage for speech therapy and clinical resources for citizens who stutter across the United States.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund

Each year, I support Dana-Farber's unrelenting commitment to striking out cancer by volunteering at community fundraising events.

These settings include:

Fenway Park
Boston Common
The Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl at Boston City Hall Plaza

In 2023 and 2024, I welcomed patients, families, donors and healthcare providers to Fenway Park at Jimmy Fund Day at Fenway .

Here, I welcomed participants through a tour of the visitor's clubhouse and tossed batting practice sessions in cages beneath the grandstands. I also guided participants to the field for once-in-a-lifetime fielding and batting sessions at Fenway Park.

Additionally, I volunteered at the 2023 Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk Finish Line by stocking and distributing food and beverage items to event participants, donors and families. The following year, I served on the 'Green Team' at the Jimmy Fund Walk by monitoring the Boston Common for waste items, separating recyclable items from nonrecyclable items, and kindly informing participants of event guidelines.

Special Olympics Massachusetts

In support of the Special Olympics MA's goal to grow its footprint in Boston and surrounding gateway cities, I volunteered at indoor hockey and basketball clinics at the Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester.

As a ‘buddy’, I guided athletes through stretching, stick handling, passing and shooting drills.

Additionally, I contacted the nonprofit's marketing and media production managers to support digital storytelling. I wrote the following web stories to grow awareness among Greater Boston families and community partners:

Dorchester resident Mark Casey growing Special Olympics programs in Boston

Celebrating the 2024 Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games

Assisting fundraising for the organization, I also volunteered to sell 50/50 raffle tickets with the Boston Bruins Foundation during a Bruins game at TD Garden.

Camp SAY

At Camp SAY, I contributed to an environment that empowered children who stutter ages 6 to 18 to enhance self-esteem and express themselves without hesitation.

Collaborating with camp directors and counselors, I coordinated confidence-building activities, managed outdoor events, distributed mail from parents, and filled in for overnight bunk counselors. Providing 24-hour care to more than 200 children, I proactively communicated with camp staff to fulfill camp-wide tasks, maximizing the experience of every child.

Cocky's Reading Express

Volunteering with the University of South Carolina's literacy outreach program, I visited elementary schools throughout South Carolina with university mascot Cocky and fellow volunteers.

At the schools, we read children's books aloud while Cocky acted out the stories to promote childhood literacy and encourage children to become lifelong learners.

Coming from a family of teachers, I enjoyed interacting with children and their caregivers and supporting higher education by being part of a young child's potential first interaction with a university.