Education in Political Science
At Mercy High School, I developed a passion for social studies, history, and English, excelling in Advanced Placement and honors courses. Early on, I learned to analyze and solve problems systematically and logically through leadership roles, including as a Link Leader in the Boomerang Project, a chair member of the Human Relations Council (HRC), and an active participant in various clubs that raise social awareness, like B.A.S.E., Fem Club, and French Club, and serving as a Link (mentor) leader for incoming freshmen.
In my senior year, I chaired the HRC, which fosters positive relations within the Mercy School community. Our open meetings encouraged students to address issues impacting school harmony and justice. As Chair, I organized the annual Ethnic Bazaar and Black History Month assembly. The ethnic bazaar celebrates Mercy’s diverse cultures through music, food, and tradition. I was also honored in 2021 to speak at my alma mater’s annual Black History Month assembly, a tribute to my senior-year work writing, directing, and casting our Black History Month assembly play. This production explored Black history in the U.S. from the Great Migration onward and was warmly received by the board of trustees and the Mercy High School community.
I graduated from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in public relations. My commitment to learning and freedom of expression is reflected in my social activism, political organizing, multimedia projects, and creative event planning with my community and interest groups. I was also inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honorary society.
Career in Politics
Throughout college, I’ve held several internships that have guided my growth as a political thinker and strengthened my skills in the field. My professors at Bennett College inspired me to attend the 10th Annual HBCU Foreign Policy Conference at the Elliott School of International Affairs, where I gained valuable insights into global policy issues. Out of 544 applicants, I was selected for the Uma Cox State Department and Diplomacy Seminar Fellowship for 2019-2020, earning both a grant and a scholarship for this prestigious program. Additionally, assessments from BB&T and CliftonStrengths have helped me understand my core strengths as a leader—achieving, envisioning the future, and taking courageous steps.
My first internship was with the American Trucking Associations (ATA) as a safety management intern, where I was responsible for inputting research data into the organization’s daily systems. While at the ATA, I also had the opportunity to shadow lobbyists advocating for trucker rights, infrastructure, and agricultural policies. I obtained this role through The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), which allowed me to study economics and public policy at George Mason University, live at George Washington University, and participate in valuable networking and briefing events. This experience, which required balancing a full-time job, university coursework, and independent living in Washington, DC, was a formative “adult” experience as a freshman.
The following year, I interned briefly as an organizer with the Michigan AFL-CIO, where I advocated for pro-labor policies in the state legislature and worked to build power for working families through organizing and campaign efforts. We focused on advancing the legislative, political, and organizing goals of the labor movement locally, statewide, and nationally, guided by an elected president and governed by an executive board.
Canvassing and Organizing
The Michigan AFL-CIO introduced me to grassroots campaigns and canvassing, sparking my interest in more direct political action. After researching the 2020 presidential candidates, I decided to join Senator Bernie Sanders' team as the 2020 HBCU Campus Corps Leader.
Following the election, I began organizing with #UnPAC out of frustration with corruption in our policies and government systems. Michigan, for example, has faced two major public health crises in the last decade, rooted in discriminatory leadership. Driven by a desire for systemic change, I actively supported and canvassed for the #ForThePeopleAct. My goal was to mobilize North Carolina students to back the For The People Act (H.R.1 / S.R.1) to strengthen election integrity, campaign finance reform, and ethics across the three branches of government.
Stand with Bennett
Bennett College is a historically Black liberal arts private college for women located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Founded in 1873, it originally served as a school to educate freedmen and train both men and women as teachers. In 1926, it became the first four-year women's historically Black college.
Bennett College faced the alarming prospect of losing its accreditation due to financial instability, a challenge shared by many private HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) that have historically been underfunded. Losing accreditation would mean that Bennett would no longer have access to federal financial aid, jeopardizing the recognition of its students' degrees.
Thanks to the dedication of supporters and the leadership of Bennett College President Dr. Phyllis Dawkins, over 11,000 donors rallied together to help the college reach its fundraising goal of two million dollars, reinforcing the importance of preserving this vital institution for future generations.
UnPAC
Our broken democracy often obstructs solutions to the issues we care about, but I believe that young people will be the ones to fix it. I organized with UnPAC to unpack the influence of political action committees (PACs). In the United States, PACs are tax-exempt 527 organizations that gather campaign contributions from their members and donate those funds to campaigns, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
In Michigan, my home state, we have faced at least two significant public health emergencies in the past decade due to misguided leadership. I staunchly support the #ForThePeopleAct because I refuse to let ill-equipped or money-driven politicians make life-or-death decisions for our communities or me.
Bernie Campus Corps Leader
In Congress, Bernie Sanders has tirelessly advocated for working families, addressing the challenges faced by the shrinking middle class and the widening wealth gap between the rich and everyone else. He has earned the reputation of being a "practical and successful legislator" and has been dubbed the "amendment king" in the House of Representatives for passing more amendments than any other member of Congress. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Bernie has worked across party lines to bridge the toxic divide in Washington and secure one of the most significant bipartisan agreements in years.
As a leader, I commit to being a Campus Corps Leader and a student volunteer organizer for Bernie’s campaign and dedicate over 15 hours per week at your school, with the campaign providing training and resources to support canvassing efforts.
Pizza at the Polls for Senator Sanders
Students are organizing to improve diversity and strengthen UC graduate programs by investing in relationships between UC faculty and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
