Accomplishments

Here I highlight the events, projects, and accomplishments of which I feel most proud! I have enjoyed almost every endeavor on which I've set out but there are a few special ones that have brought me immense satisfaction and happiness.

In Progress or Up Coming

*Pre-College Summer Programs @ Brown University*

Summer@Brown

I couldn't be more excited that I'll be teaching three courses this summer! I was so honored my proposed course on Disability & Designed is being offered to pre-college students. It'll be one more way I strive to bring inclusive innovation to our world, and what better way than through our incredible youth!

*Me & Dr. Block visiting a patient days after surgery.*

FISA

After a short hiatus from my work in the nonprofit sphere I'm back at it. Working with one of my favorite, passionate and generous people, Dr. Jon Block I'll be helping get FISA off the ground, a nonprofit that will be dedicated to educational programs in international surgery and ancillary support to medical nonprofits.

Most Recent

*Leading my workshop at Better World By Design*

TEDx & BWxD

One of my goals during my last year at Brown is to be as engaged with the community as possible and to contribute to the conversation and movement in the field of disability and design. I started off the year with being a mentor and Art Grant Awardee at Hack Health, a workshop leader at Better World By Design (BWxD) on my thesis work on disability and apparel, and gave a TEDx talk in November about my experience with deafness and disability. I am also working on building a social venture that creates apparel for people with disabilities. The Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship and the Brown Design Workshop have provided small grants to help with this endeavor! I've also participated in Challenge Change Action at the Swearer Center, the amazing Design + Health course with RISD and the Aplert Medical School, and the WE@Brown Incubator to help build my entrepreneurial skills. I also have recently started to serve as a student representative for the Campus Access Advisory Committee (CAAC). I couldn't be happier and more motivated to continue this trend. With publishing my working paper, built out of my thesis research, and teaching courses this summer at Brown Ill leave feeling I've left a mark in this realm of improtant reserach adn advocacy.

*Walking through the Van Wickle Gtes at Graduation*

MPH & Thesis

For most of my three MPH years at Brown I struggled with depression and suicide after the sequential death of several close people in my life. My father shortly before starting my program and a few close friends almost immediately after, all in terribly painful succession and heart-breakingly premature. It took all of my energy to stay enrolled but it was a rocky road. Graduating was something that didn't seam possible in the depths of my grief, but I am extremely proud of having earned my MPH in May 2017 but that I produced some incredible high-quality work despite the challenges I faced. I am particularly proud of my thesis work. An original look at disability and apparel. Inspired by my own chronic bout with disabling conditions, including fibromyalgia and my professional work with children around the world who have diverse medical conditions including severe scoliosis, spina bifida, and other congenital spine-related diagnoses I conducted primary qualitative research with 20 individuals with disabilities through in-depth interviews regarding their experience with apparel and clothing consumption. Even though the terrifying reality of master student debt loomed overhead, I was very proud to have walked through the Van Wickle gates May 28, 2017.