Husky 100

Indigenous ecological knowledge is often compared to Western scientific views and the two are often seen as opposing each other, however my major and minor symbolize unity between the two knowledge systems. Science has always been a part of my culture and I strive to use our unique, genius creations and knowledge to empower communities and heal. He kuleana ko kakou e malama i ka kanaka– We have a responsibility to take care of our people.

While my pursuit of growth has been constant, my current ambitions can be largely attributed to the abundance of resources, opportunities, and models of diverse leadership offered by UW. My interactions and involvements have nurtured an appreciation for vulnerability and transformative story-telling which, in turn, inform my ongoing trajectory of empowering marginalized communities through the advocating of creative (and necessary) reform in education, incarceration, and immigration systems.

From working as the Womxn’s Action Commission Director and Student Body Vice President to teaching Honors intro courses to fighting for the early-release of “lifers” in WA State Prisons, my three years at the UW have been spent attempting to actively disrupt spaces that are systematically silencing. In my last year at UW, I intend to continue devoting myself to the facilitation of accessible, inclusive, and loud spaces – both at the University, as well as in the community.

As someone who has always loved politics and activism, my time as a husky has been spent working to ensure the law is an empowering force rather than an oppressive one. I am a firm believer that change must start with communities, and education is at the heart of this. My experiences in Seattle K-12 classrooms and work with incarcerated individuals have been invaluable, and will propel me through law school and into a career that merges education and law.

My time studying human rights at the Jackson School of International Studies has led me to understand the importance of engaging in complex issues with empathy and an open mind. The most meaningful learning I have done, however, has been through connection with my peers and their stories, both in class and through my work at the Husky Union Building. At the UW I have been able to take action to improve inclusion on campus by creating outlets for students’ voices to be heard by campus leaders.

I’ve learned to enact social change by utilizing my strengths as a community leader and social media maven. My UW experience has been an interdisciplinary exploration of the intersectionality between digital media and our society. My enthusiasm for social media, digital marketing, and PR has grown through internships in various sectors. I look forward to utilizing my knowledge to uplift businesses and use platforms to empower others. I strive to spark change and encourage people to be boundless.

I am a caregiver for individuals with developmental disabilities, and I’ve seen firsthand the difficulties these families face in navigating healthcare for their children. I conducted ethnographic research to explore the disability parent community in WA as a resource for newly-diagnosed families in navigating the health system. My UW experience gave me the opportunity to begin making positive change as an undergrad as I pursue medical school to become a developmental pediatrician.

My UW journey has been informed by—and in turn has significantly informed—my personal experiences, identities, and the communities I am a part of. I hope to ultimately work at the intersection of publicly engaged scholarship and reparative justice practice in a way reflective of my commitment to community.

My passion starts first with hearing the needs of the community and then from there utilizing policy and the power of advocacy to meet those issues with tangible solutions. My hope is to always be entrenched in the work of helping usher marginalized communities like my own onward and upward into a new moment.

Empathy, inclusion, and an open mind are the three greatest gifts that I’ve received from UW. As a young woman who long aspired to work in the intersection of social innovation and industries, my career will be a mix of corporate, government, and international policies. I want to be at the forefront of enhancing a policy environment in the real world that allows further social advancement while leaving no one behind.