Be proactive. Find the role in which you make the greatest impact. Listen to and learn from everyone, from mentors and managers to colleagues and the community that you serve. Bring the drive, will, and motivation to move each task in a positive direction. Trust that small acts matter because the overall impact of collective efforts makes a meaningful difference. These are all lessons I learned while volunteering with Girls on the Run, Achilles International, Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, and as a National Honor Society tutor. As a coach with Girls on the Run (GOTR) New Jersey East, I worked with younger girls to foster self-esteem, communication skills, and a sense of teamwork. I led weekly practices where we participated in physical and mental exercises to empower those young girls, as well as to provide them with the confidence they need to pursue fields in which women are underrepresented, such as STEM. I also volunteer as a guide runner for Achilles International's New Jersey Chapter. Volunteering with this organization has allowed me to support individuals with disabilities in an active setting. My involvement as a guide runner has also provided me with first-hand insight into the diverse challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. I have dedicated years to fighting food insecurity through my work volunteering at the annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive in Plainfield and serving as a Morning Star Community Center food distribution volunteer in Linden. It was there where I learned that food pantries can be the difference between a young child being hungry or that child having the nourishment they need to go out into their community and be their best. As a National Honor Society tutor, I would arrive at school an hour early or take time out of my lunch some days to tutor my fellow students in various subjects, from American Sign Language and Mathematics to English and World History. I am aware of the fact that not everyone learns in the same way. One teacher's method of educating may work for some students but certainly not for every student. This inspired my desire to start tutoring because tutors can be flexible and tailor their teaching style to best suit the needs of each student. I have seen how tutoring can help people realize their academic abilities, and I am thankful that I was able to positively contribute. Each of these efforts gives people the tools they need to help lift the entire community in the future. I plan to continue such efforts with these organizations and impactful organizations like them. I hope to apply my learnings and continue to represent and support my community to help make it a better place for all of its members. My time volunteering is valuable to me because, in addition to the satisfaction of being a contributing member of the community, I saw firsthand how not everyone is accommodated in daily life. Now, I am attending the New Jersey Institute of Technology studying industrial design. An industrial designer works to create a new product or a new design of an existing product. My goal is to view product creation through a lens of accessibility and sustainability to support underrepresented people and make a lasting impact on future generations.

Be proactive. Find the role in which you make the greatest impact. Listen to and learn from everyone, from mentors and managers to colleagues and the community that you serve. Bring the drive, will, and motivation to move each task in a positive direction. Trust that small acts matter because the overall impact of collective efforts makes a meaningful difference. These are all lessons I learned while volunteering with Girls on the Run, Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, and as a National Honor Society tutor. As a junior coach with Girls on the Run (GOTR) New Jersey East, I worked with younger girls to foster self-esteem, communication skills, and a sense of teamwork. I led weekly practices where we participated in physical and mental exercises to empower those young girls, as well as to provide them with the confidence they need to pursue fields in which women are underrepresented, such as STEM. I have also focused on fighting food insecurity, volunteering for years at the annual Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive in Plainfield and serving as a Morning Star Community Center food distribution volunteer in Linden. It was there where I learned that food pantries can be the difference between a young child being hungry or that child having the nourishment they need to go out into their community and be their best. As a National Honor Society tutor, I would arrive at school an hour early or take time out of my lunch some days to tutor my fellow students in various subjects, from American Sign Language and Mathematics to English and World History. I am aware of the fact that not everyone learns in the same way. One teacher's method of educating may work for some students but certainly not for every student. This inspired my desire to start tutoring because tutors can be flexible and tailor their teaching style to best suit the needs of each student. I have seen how tutoring can help people realize their academic abilities, and I am thankful that I was able to positively contribute. Each of these efforts gives people the tools they need to help lift the entire community in the future. I plan to continue such efforts with these organizations and impactful organizations like them. I hope to apply my learnings and continue to represent and support my community to help make it a better place for all of its members. My time volunteering is valuable to me because, in addition to the satisfaction of being a contributing member of the community, I saw firsthand how not everyone is accommodated in daily life. Now, I am attending the New Jersey Institute of Technology studying industrial design. An industrial designer works to create a new product or a new design of an existing product. My goal is to view product creation through a lens of accessibility and sustainability to support underrepresented people and make their daily lives a little easier.

Design is a powerful tool that can evoke deep emotions, solve complex problems, and shape the human experience. Whether it's the intricacy of a wristwatch, the sleek, clean lines of modern furniture, or the whimsical nature of a unique light concept, I am always captivated and inspired by well-designed products. While I appreciate the aesthetic nature of industrial design, my interest in the field goes beyond just aesthetics. Industrial design is a limitless profession that employs a combination of art and engineering to conceptualize manufactured products. What appeals to me most about industrial design is its power to catalyze social change and promote sustainability. When I was a toddler, I was diagnosed with hearing loss. My official diagnosis is profound sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear and mild sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear. While being hard of hearing presented additional challenges in my life, my experiences growing up have made me sensitive to the fact that, in everyday life, not everyone is accommodated. My goal is to view product creation through a lens of accessibility and sustainability to support underrepresented people and make their daily lives a little easier. The product design solution can be very complex, such as the development of closed-captioning smart glasses that allow deaf people to “see” and read conversations in real-time. A solution also can be seemingly simple, such as a clear face mask that allows for lip reading. The development of clear masks during COVID made life for me, and for many others in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, easier. Regardless of complexity, all of these creations can help countless people, and I am excited to make a positive difference as a product designer. In addition to the ability to promote inclusion and accessibility, industrial design can be a tool for sustainability. Over the years, sustainability has come more and more into the forefront of design. In the past, the negative impacts of designs on the environment were not considered; as long as the design was effective and marketable, it was produced and sold. Today, we are experiencing the negative environmental impacts of this irresponsible design thought process. Industrial design is a field that encompasses the entire life cycle of a product, from initial ideation and manufacturing to disposal. Prioritizing sustainability as an industrial designer makes all of these processes more sustainable. As an industrial design student focused on designing for a more sustainable world, I have made it a point to research and implement ways I can make the products I design more environmentally conscious. Using low-impact materials, increasing functionality, and designing things meant to last, are just some of the ways that many inspirational designers go about doing so. While many think of design as something purely for visual enjoyment, I know design can serve a greater purpose in terms of society and the environment. I hope to contribute to that through my work.

Be proactive. Find the role in which you make the greatest impact. Listen to and learn from everyone, from mentors and managers to colleagues and the community that you serve. Bring the drive, will, and motivation to move each task in a positive direction. Trust that small acts matter because the overall impact of collective efforts makes a meaningful difference. These are all lessons I learned while volunteering with Girls on the Run and Achilles International. As a coach with Girls on the Run (GOTR) New Jersey East, I worked with younger girls to foster self-esteem, communication skills, and a sense of teamwork. I led weekly practices where we participated in physical and mental exercises to empower those young girls, as well as to provide them with the confidence they need to pursue fields in which women are underrepresented, such as STEM. I also volunteer as a guide runner for Achilles International's New Jersey Chapter. Volunteering with this organization has allowed me to support individuals with disabilities in an active setting. My involvement as a guide runner has also provided me with first-hand insight into the diverse challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. Being hard of hearing myself, I understand the importance of accessibility and I am aware of the fact that in everyday life, not everyone is accommodated. These experiences have motivated me to pursue a career path in industrial design, where I can make a real difference and continue to uplift the community. An industrial designer combines art and the sciences to create a new product or a new design of an existing product. My goal is to view product creation through a lens of accessibility to support underrepresented people and make their daily lives a little easier. The industrial design solution can be very involved, such as the development of closed-captioning smart glasses that allow deaf people to “see” and read conversations in real-time. A solution also can be seemingly simple, such as a clear face mask that allows for lip reading. The development of clear masks during COVID made life for me, and for many others in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, easier. Regardless of complexity, all of these creations have the ability to benefit countless people. I am dedicated to making a positive difference as an industrial designer through designing inclusive products that address the diverse needs of individuals across the globe. Receiving the Morgan Levine Dolan Community Service Scholarship would alleviate some of the financial burden associated with my educational journey. This would allow me to focus my attention on my studies, research, and internships. With the financial support of this scholarship I will be able to dedicate my attention to my overarching mission, which is using industrial design to develop a more accessible world for underrepresented individuals.

When I was a toddler, I was diagnosed with hearing loss. My official diagnosis is profound sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear and mild sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear. I have a Section 504 classification due to my hearing loss. Over the years, I have adjusted to certain challenges with a variety of coping mechanisms. Growing up, each of my schools worked hard to help support me. Various FM systems were tried, but these systems do have drawbacks. In some cases, the devices would amplify surrounding noises, making it hard to hear the teacher. Other systems had feedback issues, which would be very distracting. In some cases, the systems made it harder to hear other students, which was especially problematic when classes were working collaboratively. Throughout my life, I found ways to minimize the challenges. Hearing aids have provided major benefits for me, however, I still have to make adjustments so that I have the best chance of hearing. I position myself to the right of a primary speaker, sit in front of all my classes, and focus on a speaker’s lips to help me comprehend what is being said. This has helped me keep up in conversations and better understand people in certain situations. I believe it also has made me a more attentive, thoughtful listener, as I am always concentrating hard on what is being said to me. Being hard of hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic presented additional challenges. Masks led to muffled voices, which made it even more difficult to fully understand people. Masks also made it impossible to read lips. Despite the challenges, I worked hard to maintain my grades throughout the pandemic. The situation made me more self-sufficient and resourceful to ensure that I would not fall behind in my classes. My experiences growing up have made me sensitive to the fact that, in everyday life, not everyone is accommodated. Now, I am attending university, studying industrial design. An industrial designer combines art and the sciences to create a new product or a new design of an existing product. My goal is to use industrial design to create accessible solutions to the many problems, both big and small, that underrepresented people face. The product design solution can be very complex, such as the development of closed-captioning smart glasses that allow deaf people to “see” and read conversations in real-time. A solution also can be seemingly simple, such as a clear face mask that allows for lip reading. The development of clear masks during COVID made life for me, and for many others in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, easier. Regardless of complexity, all of these creations have the ability to help countless people, and I am excited to make a positive difference in the greater community as an industrial designer.

As a toddler, I was diagnosed with profound sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear and mild sensorineural hearing loss in my left ear, leading to a Section 504 classification for support. Over the years, I have adjusted to certain challenges using coping mechanisms such as lip reading. Being hard of hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic presented additional challenges. Masks led to muffled voices, which made it more difficult to understand people. Masks also made it impossible to read lips. Despite the challenges, I worked hard to maintain my grades throughout the pandemic. My experiences made me aware that, in everyday life, not everyone is accommodated. Now at university, studying industrial design, my goal is to view product creation through a lens of accessibility to support underrepresented people and make their daily lives easier. The product design solution can be complex, such as closed-captioning smart glasses that allow deaf people to “see” conversations in real time. A solution also can be seemingly simple, such as a clear face mask that allows for lip reading. Regardless of complexity, all these creations can help countless people. I am excited to make a difference in the greater community as an industrial designer.