During my junior year of high school, I was involved in an art project that was donated to Mercy Neighborhood ministries, which is a food pantry in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was created to hang in the front hallway of their offices. We spent our time working in pairs and as a big group designing the stencils for the fruits and vegetables and making symbols that would fill up the background. This whole experience was very meaningful to me, because I love art and being able to give back while doing it. I feel that I had to quickly learn to be a team player and let everyone else showcase their abilities to create a better and more diverse result. It was challenging from a design and time-management standpoint, but I am very proud of what my classmates and I created.

During High School, I helped to plan my school’s yearly Personal Care Drive. This event was extremely important to me, as it gave me a chance to help give back. We partnered with numerous agencies throughout my four years, one of which was Women of Alabaster in Cincinnati, Ohio. I learned a lot about leadership and event planning. It was very hands-on, having to design incentives and even load up the boxes into the trucks. Service is extremely important to me, and I hope to continue projects like this well into my future.