Throughout my educational journey and professional career, service to my community and the causes I care about has been a foundational value that shapes how I navigate the world.
From 2013-2014, I served over 1,700 hours with AmeriCorps City Year San Antonio (CYSA) and the fabulous Ed White Middle School 8th grade ELA team; I was an Extended Learning Time Coordinator (aka afterschool program hero!) and I learned so much about how educational opportunities are distributed unevenly across, and even within, schools. During my tenure with CYSA, I served as a leader for the Global Youth Service Day and on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Committee. One of the mantras from City Year was PITW (Put Idealism To Work), and and a core principle was Belief In the Power of Young People. In my scholarship and community engagement, I hold these values closely.
I chose the Bush School of Government and Public Service for my Master's of Public Administration experience because of the emphasis on seeing public service as a "noble calling," as the school's namesake was famous for espousing. Throughout my tenure on the National Municipal Performance Index Capstone group and as an Intern with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I, too, found my calling and passion for research that advances more equitable public service delivery.