The Journey

Unraveling The Journey

By now you have heard me talk about "The Journey" and how much my life's journey has guided me to where I am today. What you have not heard yet is what that journey has consisted of. I have highlighted below some of the major experiences in my life that have molded my passions and interests. Some date back to my time in high school where I began learning about social justice and advocacy for the voiceless. My experiences in college taught me how to apply my skills to my areas of interest and become a leader in today's world. I continue to harness these passions and skills as I grow my career as a conflict and international security practitioner.

Presidential Leadership Academy

The Presidential Leadership Academy (PLA) is a three-year program for a select group of students at Penn State University. Members are selected at the end of their freshman year to participate in various courses as well as field experiences during their time in the PLA. During my years in the PLA, I was fortunate enough to build professional relationships with various faculty members and enhance my ability to think critically on topics affecting the world each day. We discussed issues such as intellectual property rights, global security, leadership decisions, environmental conflicts, the Arab Spring, business ethics, and many other valuable topics.

As a member of the PLA, I traveled to Washington, D.C., Gettysburg, Carlisle, and San Francisco. One of my favorite experiences was our trip to the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA, where we participated in an international crisis negotiation simulation exercise. The colonels pushed us to exercise our leadership skills and teamwork in order to reach a solution to a fictional national crisis. This experience allowed me to play the role of a negotiator in a global conflict with a wonderful mentor to guide us along the way. I feel truly blessed to have had the experience of the PLA. It was through the PLA that I was able to discuss issues outside of the normal classroom environment and began to see the world in a new light. I gained the knowledge of how to apply the leadership skills I have developed to real-life situations. Being a member of the PLA has greatly enriched my time in college and I owe it all to the generosity of Ed and Helen Hintz, the creators of the program.

For more information about the PLA, please visit the Academy's website here.

Omicron Delta Kappa 2011-2012

I was inducted into the University Park Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, National Leadership Honors Society, during the spring of my sophomore year at Penn State University. On the day of my induction, I took over the leadership role as president. This was a daunting task because, at the time, our Circle had been experiencing difficulties rebuilding from inactivity. The advisers informed be that it was likely the last year for our Circle. Knowing that from the beginning, I made it a goal to improve the organization in every way possible. The Circle went from having one meeting per semester to one or two meetings per month (five per semester).

We looked through historical records of the organization for information regarding past Circle activities. We were able to host our Induction Ceremonies without financial assistance from the University. By reaching out to the ODK Fellow, I was able to answer questions we had about the standards for ODK National. The implementation of communications like GroupMe text allowed members to plan more events outside of meetings and bond through support of each others' extracurricular activities. I learned how to manage a struggling organization and beat the odds by creating a sustainable organization to last into the future. This experience allowed me to see my leadership and organizational strengths applied to an organization I hold close to my heart.

Catholic Lobby Day, 2008 - 2009

When I was a junior in high school, I began participating in Catholic Lobby Day. My high school partnered with the Diocese of San Jose (CA) and traveled to the Sacramento capitol to meet with legislators about ethical issues confronting the Catholic church. Though I am not Catholic, it was a truly valuable experience to learn how to approach legislators and discuss political matters in a professional environment. During my two years as a participant, we lobbied on issues ranging from physician-assisted suicide to education to budget cuts. Gaining practice researching and discussing unfamiliar topics gave me much confidence moving forward.

My junior year, I was selected by the Diocese to be the only student leader of a group consisting of student and adult community volunteers. It was an honor to lead such a wonderful group in a very successful meeting with the legislative adviser to California State Senator Elaine Alquist. My experience senior year was just as rewarding. Various student leaders led a handful of teams in meetings with legislators. I was fortunate enough to facilitate a meeting with Paul Fong, a member of the California State Assembly. I led a seminar on social networking as part of an advocacy workshop hosted by my school in 2009 following our participation in the Ignatian Family Teach-In. It was from these and other similar experiences I had that social justice advocacy programs were created at my high school to help future students learn to be active members of their community.

Spirit of the Navajo, 2008

The summer following my junior year in high school, I participated in an immersion trip to the Navajo Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. While on the reservation, we spent much time familiarizing ourselves with the Navajo culture and issues of ethics and social justice affecting Native Americans every day. Our service projects included teaching math and language arts to students in a local school and cleaning churches in the surrounding area. We conversed with elders on a sheep farm, hiked through Canyon de Chelly, experienced a traditional sweat lodge, and built relationships with all the people we met. This was a life-changing experience for me and engaged me in valuable dialogue with a community I had never been exposed to before.