Experience 1: STEMinate Nonprofit
Dates: July 2016 – present (800 hours)
I founded STEMinate (https://www.thesteminate.com/), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to deliver STEM opportunities for underprivileged students, at a local and international level.
I have advocated to the local Henrico Education Board and created a petition (accumulating 1,100 signatures under 24 hours and amassing close to 2,000 signatures) to advocate for the continued funding of a local STEM institution, the MathScience Innovation Center, in Richmond, Virginia (which provides STEM enrichment opportunities to underserved students).
Additionally, I developed a 4-week enrichment: program for young children focused on the human anatomy, particularly on the brain and nervous system, gastrointestinal system, circulatory system, and renal system (Link: https://henrico.us/news/2021/04/henrico-4-h-steminate-to-offer-human-anatomy-spin-club/)
I coded an app in Javascript, “STEMinate: Miraculous Math”, to help students worldwide understand mathematic and pre-calculus concepts. I was recognized by Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger as a 1st-Place Runner Up in the VA-07 National Congressional App Challenge (Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qJ20ABSmHiQ6nI-L1re9_5WC8MQxqeAK/view?usp=sharing)
I also conducted multiple Scratch programming workshops independently and in collaboration with the 4-H organization.
I facilitated and hosted a national science after our Intel ISEF-affiliated regional fair was cancelled after 29 years due to funding issues. I found scientists to judge over 12 categories, ranging from Botany to Computer Science. Our science fair had over 30+ participants nationally. I fundraised over $2,000 to donate for prizes for winners as well as donate STEM kits to underprivileged communities. I donated over $500 worth of Computer Science/Engineering and Arduino kits to students in Nigeria and Liberia.
For my volunteer and leadership work, I was recognized as an international Straubel Fellow (Link: https://www.straubelfoundation.org/straubelfellows), an international Three Dot Dash Leader by musician Nile Rogers (Link: https://www.wearefamilyfoundation.org/three-dot-dash-global-teen-leaders-2021), 2020 and 2021 National Presidential Service Award Recipient (Gold Level), 2020 and 2021 Distinguished Finalist and Bronze Medal Recipient in the National Prudential Awards for Community Service (Link: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virginias-top-youth-volunteers-of-2020-selected-by-national-program-300996014.html), 2021 National Equitable Excellence Scholar, 2021 Youth-in-Action Award recipient by the Virginia 4-H organization (Link: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2021/03/vce-4-H-youth-in-action-winners.html)
Experience 2: Project Infinity Initiative
Dates: January 2018 – present (200 hours)
Under my STEMinate nonprofit, I created an initiative called Project Infinity, in order to raise awareness and deliver opportunities pertaining to STEM advancements in space.
I organized the 1st annual student-run summit on advancements of STEM research in space & International Space Station. During this summit, we had 70+ registrants from 4 countries.
I also facilitated and hosted our 2nd summit, which had 112 registrants from 14 countries and 12 states.
I have conducted and hosted experiments on the effects of density in space, surface tension differences in microgravity, and a simulated experiment of microgravity on osteoporosis.
I also utilized the SallyRide Earth KAM Program to show students images of Earth taken from astronauts aboard the ISS.
I hosted a national competition for students to develop a proposal to send their experiments aboard the International Space Station (monetary prizes given to winners).
I was invited to present my leadership/volunteer work with Project Infinity via an oral presentation and a poster presentation at the 2020 (Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Nv8DopV4CShH-ri84-TnyayZF93rUWFD/view?usp=sharing) and 2021 (Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fj0fNVyjVXn7355Sg-4QMNm5-tI94Q61/view?usp=sharing) International Space Station Research and Development Conference (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3jqmAVH28k&list=LL&index=118&t=1185s)
Experience 3: American Heart Association EmPOWERed Scholar and Volunteer
Dates: August 2022 – present (100 hours)
I was selected as 1 of 8 national scholars for the American Heart Association (AHA) EmPOWERed Program (Link: https://newsroom.heart.org/news/next-generation-college-scholars-recognized-for-confronting-local-community-health-inequities). I received an academic scholarship and invitation to attend the 2022 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions conference. I was recognized for my potential to serve as a change agent to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities in under-resourced communities. I developed a proposal to connect non-insured and undocumented immigrants to local free health clinics. Through this funded partnership, I am now the Co-founder and Co-president of Duke University’s American Heart Association student organization. Our goals is to bring educate the public on various methods to maintain health cardiovascular health (in addition to hosting workshops pertaining to giving CPR and measuring blood pressure).
Experience 4: Remote Area Medical (RAM) Organization: Executive Committee Member and Volunteer
Dates: May 2022 – present (100 hours)
I volunteered and helped run the first free pop-up clinic in North Carolina with the Duke RAM organization (located in Henderson, North Carolina). Additionally, I coordinated with other North Carolina nonprofits to host booths at our 2nd annual Duke RAM pop-up clinic in Henderson. I was part of a group of volunteers and physicians that provided over $250,000+ in equivalence of medical assistance during Duke’s 1st and 2nd free pop-up clinic at Henderson.
I also entered and transcribed written medical documentation onto patient portal in RAM pop-up clinic in Greer, South Carolina.
Experience 5: Bass Connections (Closing the Gap on Health Disparities and Outcomes in Hypertension) & Lincoln Community Health Center Volunteer
Dates: May 2022 – present (100 hours)
As a part of this project, I help facilitate a novel hypertension class and initiative for self-monitoring of blood pressure for low-income, high-risk patients at a Federally Qualified Health Center, the Lincoln Community Health Center located in Durham. I make bi-weekly phone calls to recruit patients for the classes. I volunteer at the in-person classes on a biweekly basis, where I help set up posters to bring awareness to these Hypertension Management classes at the Lincoln Community Health Center. I also help prepare healthy, low-sodium food for patients during these class. Additionally, I register patients and help monitor/report their blood pressure values at the end of each class.
