My life changed in Funkytown. As an undergraduate student of Economics, I had known for years that I wanted to pursue a career in academia and research. Several service trips through Ohio State’s Buck-I-SERV program chipped away at that plan, and on my final trip during my senior year was to the same place that my first had been: Willow River Minnesota. Volunteering with One Heartland the first time had been hugely impactful to me, introducing me to work with non-profit organizations and the power that can have. Then, the second time I was there, as I was making plans for after I would graduate, I stood again in the basement of the central building at the campsite. Dubbed Funkytown, the basement held a large gymnasium where people at the camp gathered for events throughout their time at camp. There, I officially decided that my plans were changing. Instead of applying for graduate schools immediately after graduation, I applied to AmeriCorps NCCC to continue my service. Through two terms in NCCC, including one as a Team Leader, I worked in many capacities with seven different non-profit organizations throughout the United States and massively improved my abilities to facilitate and organize projects, communicate between organizations and people, manage budgets, adapt to quickly changing situations, and other abilities that have been invaluable. After my second graduation from NCCC, I returned to school at Columbia University pursuing an MA in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences. Here, I've not only learned skills in numerous techniques of statistical analysis such as Machine Learning, GIS, Network Analysis, and NLP, but I've also gained experience with data management, programming in several languages and programs, and presentation including data visualization. Additionally, I've had the opportunity to conduct independent research and help lead a practical project with the United Nations SDG Fund to partially address time-lags in data reporting. After graduation, I hope to use the knowledge and skills I gained here in tandem with the passion I've developed for service by using data and quantitative analysis to find and implement ways to positively impact others.