As the only teen volunteer in Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, I quickly fell in love with the babies, the work, and the team. After my first day, I felt I had found my calling. I may be cleaning supply closets, updating computer files, or monitoring security doors, but I always feel a sense of purpose. My efforts make a difference for the nurses, who in turn make a huge impact on our patients' lives. We work together as a respectful, collaborative team. I learn every day. Through the NICU, I’ve discovered that my hometown is actually a major city with significant health issues. The problems our community faces can be reflected in our babies. My first days exposed me to patients with extraordinary stories. I met infants addicted to fentanyl, diseased with botulism or syphilis, or those born extremely early, needing help to breathe. I feel driven to comfort them and make them well. It’s made me keenly aware of vulnerability. There are far more dangers in the world than we realize, but many can be avoided through improvements in advocacy and education. I hope to one day be an excellent nurse and care for babies with the same deep sensitivity and heart as my mentors in the Providence Saint Joseph’s NICU.

• Youth Services Worker

  Government Administration · City of Burbank

  Jan 2023 – Jan 2023

• Advocacy
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy

• Cheerleading

  Varsity · 2 awards

  2022 – 2026

  Awards:

  Awarded “UCA All-American” in July 2025. Voted “Most Valuable Player” for the 2023-2024 season and “All Star” for the 2024-2025 season., For the STUNT Team, I received the Coaches’ award for “Rookie of the Year” (2024) and I was recognized by the Gateway League as a “First Team All League Player” (out of six teams from Southern Los Angeles County) (2025).

• Volunteer, Special Education Department. I lend my craft skills to gift wrap the students’ ceramic projects for their parents’ Christmas or Hannukah presents. I also decorate the school in a Hogwart’s theme for their annual Harry Potter night.

  Volunteering · Theodor Roosevelt Elementary School

  2022 – 2025

  Mission:

  Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School educates students from kindergarten through fifth grade in the Magnolia Park neighborhood of Burbank, California. They host several events each year to raise funds and entertain children.

• Serving over 150 hours as the only Teen Volunteer in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I assist nurses, clean the unit, stock shelves, and witness treatment outcomes first-hand. Fragile babies enter our ward-I’m ecstatic when they’re discharged.

  Volunteering · Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center

  2024 – Present

  Mission:

  PSJMC is a 446-bed facility serving the San Fernando Valley, with 2,500 employees and 700 physicians. Its Teen Volunteer Program provides encouragement and comfort to patients. Volunteers work with staff, observe nursing care, and learn new skills.

• Volunteer/Event Support. I wake up at dawn, excited to meet new four-legged friends. I deliver service with a smile, offering free bags of pet food, ID tags, and information, to help keep pets with the people who love them.

  Volunteering · Better Neighbor Project, Michelson Found Animals

  2020 – Present

  Mission:

  BNP keeps people and pets together through community-driven efforts that provide direct and indirect aid to pet parents from historically marginalized communities through partnerships with elected officials and community-based organizations.