In collaboration with LSU PD’s K9 Unit, I organized a LSU Safety Day event where residents wore drunk goggles, engaged with LSU PD, and learned about ways they could be safer on campus.
The Soul of Community
Growing up in a military household moving from place to place, I felt I had lost something that I didn’t know was dear to me until I got to the point where I was struggling to understand the world around me. Wherever I went, I was always the outsider and I didn’t know why I was different or why everyone else was so similar. Over time, I accepted that as the way things were, how they would always be. It wasn’t until the end of high school that I really started to think about my future and put into question my reality. This is when I realized I was missing something important; the connection that one has with another, a bond with one’s community. I don’t have some lofty or tragic backstory, but after my eyes opened to this realization I promised myself two things: I would never miss an opportunity God laid before me and I would never do something that I’d regret. Confused, I contemplated for weeks and philosophized about who I was, why I was here, and what was purpose.
In the end, I found that the purpose of my life, in my eyes, is to enhance the life of others. My word is my bond and I will never steer from it or else I will come to regret it. I enjoy seeing others smile and that makes me smile. A requirement for my purpose though is that it can’t be done alone. Life is designed to be lived together, not a part. As such, community is the most important quality of humanity and I believe it’s my duty as a person to be better for those around me.
Below are cards showcasing a few ways in which I have reached out and lead groups to stand as a supportive pillar within my community.
LSU GeauxTeach Student Organization
During my time at LSU, I joined many organizations such as the GeauxTeach Student Organization. In GeauxTeach I volunteered in activities to support middle schoolers and high schoolers experience science. I also spent time volunteering as a proctor in the organization helping high school tests and competitions that were being conducted at LSU.
LSU Geaux BIG
I have participated in and coordinated teams of volunteers for the annual Louisiana State University event Geaux Big for three years. Geaux Big is a volunteering event conducted by LSU to support the surrounding Baton Rouge community. I participated in my first year, then lead teams for National Society of Collegiate Scholars and LSU Residential Life for my second and third years participating.
Refuge, a College Ministry
During my sophomore year, my church, friends, and I looked to support the homeless population of the Baton Rouge community. We organized what we dubbed as BUB, Breakfast Under the Bridge. Every fourth Sunday morning, we would cook bacon and eggs for any and all who lived under the highway bridge near LSU’s campus.
TEDxLSU 2018, Team Refract
I joined the Communication Across the Curriculum team that organizes and runs LSU’s TEDx events in my sophomore year. On the team, I volunteered in assisting with stage design, created gift packages that would be provide to TEDx attendees, and manned the floor as a roamer on event day. As a roamer, It was my job to monitor the flow of the event and keep the attendees engaged while they were taking a break from the TEDx talks.
