As someone who suffers from a chronic illness and was a primary caregiver of my grandmother during her year-long journey with Stage-4 esophageal cancer, I have firsthand knowledge of the impact of person VS patient-focused healthcare. Every patient who enters a medical setting deserves to be treated with regard to their whole person, have a practitioner take time to understand the extent of information they (the patient) desire to know, and feel they are being listened to. I am passionate about a career in STEM but I will also use my education to work towards standardizing such practices in healthcare, advocating for patients to be heard, not just seen as a diagnosis.

• Advocacy
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy

• Tennis

  Junior Varsity

  2018 – 2019

• Dancing

  Intramural

  2017 – 2020

• Board of Directors and Executive Committee Member

  Volunteering · Healthy Community Coalition

  2019 – 2022

  Mission:

  Served as youth representative for five school districts

• Program leader and presenter

  Advocacy · Maine Youth Action Network Restorative Practices Initiative

  2021 – 2021

  Mission:

  As part of MYAN’s Youth Planning Team I helped to create the Western Regional Conference: Now is Our Time. I spent the summer leading up to my senior year being trained on restorative practices, and planning the event which happened in September over Zoom due to COVID restrictions, with attendees from multiple schools and organizations. I was the presenter who opened the conversation and led an example and activity on identifying and reflecting emotions for effective communication. I lead the conversation on how to build community to prevent teen substance abuse. With the success of the event, I was invited to present at MYAN’s statewide Maine Youth Leadership Conference in November of 2021.

• Presentor

  Advocacy · Youth & Community Engagement of USM, Young People’s Caucus

  2020 – 2020

  Mission:

  In February 2020, I presented to Maine legislators, Maine Department of Education staff, and other decision makers on mental health, substance abuse, and suicide prevention.

• Student lead

  Volunteering · Healthy Community Coalition Bridging Communities Project

  2018 – 2019

  Mission:

  I created and led a survey to identify unaddressed vulnerabilities in the county/community. The information collected was then used to increase visibility/access to compiled resources to help the in-need population.

• Volunteer

  Volunteering · United Way of the Tri-Valley Area

  2018 – 2019

  Mission:

  I volunteered at their Great Charity Auction and provided education at a campaign event at Verso Paper.

• Volunteer

  Volunteering · Healthy Community Coalition Hope Harvest Garden

  2015 – 2020

  Mission:

  I worked in the garden and delivered plants/vegetables throughout the community to low income families and seniors who were without transportation.

• State of Maine Representative, advocate

  Advocacy · Debbie's Dream Foundation

  2020 – 2020

  Mission:

  Presented to US Senators and the House of Representatives on the growing rate of gastric cancers, advocating for the Department of Defense to increase funding for gastric cancer research.