Community Involvement: In graduate school, I was able to travel to an Arcadia-affiliated, pro bono clinic in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica to help treat individuals with severe, neurological impairments resulting as sequelae from disorders like strokes, brain tumor resections, and spinal cord injuries. In addition to functioning as one of the most rewarding experiences of my life by helping individuals who desperately need rehab in an area with limited medical and financial resources, it was also an incredible learning opportunity to co-treat with other physical therapy students from a university in Jamaica as well as compare learning experiences on our journeys to becoming clinicians! One of my favorite recurring initiatives is working as a volunteer with Life Rolls On, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with varying disabilities through adaptive surfing and skating clinics. Helping individuals who may normally be wheelchair-bound or have never even dreamt of getting on a surfboard and catching some waves is a remarkably impactful experience that allows us to, even transiently, restore a sense of functional independence that these athletes may not have felt in years or even decades.
Favorite Appearance and why: My favorite appearance to date was a fan engagement event at The Mann in West Philly. What was supposed to be a relatively simple appearance where we were instructed to remain in a designated area to meet with our incredible fans and take photos turned into something so much more. A few teammates and I were asked to travel through a nearby crowd during a concert at the venue, dance around, and pump up the onlookers. We then got called up on stage to spontaneously perform with Craig Robinson and his band and had to quickly match some of our choreography to his music without knowing what he was performing! We ended the event speaking with Craig about his experience in film and his roles on The Office and Brooklyn 99. I'm never at a loss for unforgettable, rewarding surprises while working for this organization!
Personal Time: I love spending time LEARNING new things! There's something remarkably compelling about taking the time to understand things you know little about, whether from independent research or from experts in that area. I think this curiosity is also what has driven my career aspirations and future goals as well. Additionally, I love spending time with my 4 dogs back home, relaxing on the beach with family and friends, cooking, and playing Fantasy Football with old classmates.
A song that is always on my playlist : MOOD 4 EVA by Beyoncé, JAY-Z, and Childish Gambino
Three words that describe me: Ambitious, Humble, Empathetic
Favorite form of exercise other than dancing: Resistance Training (For the extensive, multi-system health benefits!) and Soccer
