Class of: 2015

Major: Economics (Pre-Law)

What venture are you currently working on and how did it get started?

I worked as a criminal investigator intern at the Juvenile Public Defenders Office (LCCR) for a year and a half. That experience was amazing and I felt like I was making a difference in people’s lives. Currently, I am part of the Community Engagement Advocates (CEA) which are a group of people attempting to build a better relationship with Tulane Service Learners and the New Orleans community. This is done through workshops held during class time, where topics such as intersectionality, class, gender and privilege are talked about. We hold weekly meetings to follow up on our experiences in the classroom and expand that for the different communities of New Orleans. As for how it started, this is the 3rd year the program has been in existence and I stumbled into it after a friend recommended it to me (lol).

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced since starting your venture?

So far, some of the issues our organization has faced are combating apathy, making a connection between the service learners and the community and having these different types of conversations in a manner that is engaging and interesting.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to any college student thinking of becoming a “changemaker”?

I would say that you should always be open to new ideas and be ready to explore different options. I came into Tulane as a Chemistry major, with the idea of one day making some kind of medicine to cure a disease. I never considered the field of law. If there is something that you think you might have even the slightest amount of interest, go for it. And if it doesn’t exist, begin asking why there is not something on campus for it and see what you can do to begin something. Finally, it is completely ok to not know what type of “change” you want to have, so long as you can find a passion, you will be fine 🙂

What is the most important lesson you’ve learned since starting your venture?

This is a bit of a cliche, but listening really is a lost art for some. Listening is not my strongest attribute, I have always been a take a bull by the horns type of person, ready to dive into things and getting dirty if necessary. However, it is equally if not more important to hear the ideas and values others hold, whether they are your classmates or the people from the community. It is not about learning this lesson, but rather having it magnified for myself once again.

What is your personal mission statement?

To continue staying motivated on a daily basis in order to achieve a set of goals that I have set for myself. Many people have dreams but I personally use a never ending cache of goals to continue working towards “making it”. Making it changes on a daily basis lol.

What quote do you live by?

“The only thing that comes to a sleeping man is dreams”

What’s one surprising fact people might not know about you?

If becoming an attorney was not an option for me, I would want to be a football coach. Coaching and attorneys are not as different as one may think. Once you’re in a trial/on the field, it sort of becomes a chess game where you prepare prior to the event and juke it out against someone in the hopes of getting the upper hand and eventually coming out on top. I can be quite competitive when I’m passionate about something 😛