Karner Blue Capital (KBC) is a socially responsible investment startup focused on animal welfare and biodiversity. Clients of KBC (which can include individuals, family offices, non-profits, and other organizations) invest in portfolios of publicly traded companies that KBC determines to be leaders in animal welfare and biodiversity globally. In my role, I developed and carried out research on companies, focusing on industries such as food & beverages, real estate, and construction. In addition, I sat on the corporate advocacy team, where I engaged with companies that are lower performers in animal welfare to encourage them to improve their policies. Finally, I utilized graphic design and marketing skills to design advertisements, brochures, and other marketing materials for KBC.

I worked with other members of the Wellness Resource Center at Temple University to promote our popular Peer Education Program. Through this, I oversaw and sat on the Interview Committee that hires new Peer Educators, coordinated and facilitated wellness programs, planned and executed weekly meetings with Peers, and supported the office in other ways by planning events and conducting one-on-one wellness consultations.Since I started the role, we had a lot of professional staff turnover, losing our Director, Assistant Director, Healthy Lifestyles Program Coordinator, Mental Well-Being Program Coordinator, and Administrative Specialist. This presented a challenge for myself and other Assistants, who stepped up to fill these roles in the interim while being a part of the hiring process.Successes included hiring 55 new Peer Educators to the office since starting, redeveloping the weekly Peer Newsletter, and conducting focus groups on the interview process which led to a revamp of the application and interview questions.

In this role, I served Temple University's student body by promoting on and off campus environmental awareness and by proposing and developing initiatives that help Temple work towards its goal of achieving a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by the year 2050.One of the greatest challenges associated with this position was being an effective intermediary between students that want fast and encompassing change and administrators that deal with economic and political realities faced by the university. Maintaining pragmatism, a willingness to compromise, and open communication with all stakeholders was crucial in ensuring success.Accomplishments included the development of a Sustainability Task Force committed to giving students a direct stake in environmental change, a university commitment to replace paper towels in campus bathrooms with hand dryers, implementation of an open negotiation with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority to provide students with a discounted transit pass, development of a proposal with the Task Force to commit Temple to purchasing 100% of its energy through Renewable Energy Credits, and discussions with Temple's new Dining Services provider, Aramark.

The Healthy Lifestyles Living and Learning Community (LLC) promotes maintaining health and wellness while in college. Through my role, I lived in the Residence Hall with 34 first year students, developed and facilitated programs related to wellness, held 10 community engagement hours per week through informal programs like yoga and intramural sports, sat on the Planning Committee to work on the LLC program's semesterly large scale events, and otherwise supported members of the LLC by serving as a general resource.Many people who commit to the LLC program do so to secure housing on campus; providing programming and marketing efforts to keep residents engaged was a challenge. I also dealt with difficult roommate and other conflicts on the floor, employing strategies such as Brief Motivational Interviewing and effective mediation techniques.Successes included honorable mention in programming for my gentrification tour of the Reading Viaduct (soon to be an elevated park similar to the High Line in New York City), and an offer for re-hire for the following school year.

I had the privilege of working with the World Affairs Council as an international affairs intern during my senior year of high school. I received credit for doing the internship, and was required to complete a quarterly journal and give a presentation relating to my experiences working for WACDC. Additionally, my senior capstone project focused on my internship, and the experiences I had working in the international affairs field. The World Affairs Council is an internationally recognized non-profit organization with chapters across the US. The mission of the Council is to educate the American public about global affairs, and raise awareness for the importance of getting an internationally focused education. WACDC holds several events and workshops throughout the year, including their Embassy Series, Distinguished Speaker Series, and Young Professionals Series events, as well as their annual Global Education Gala and their weeklong International Affairs Leadership Academy, which I participated in my junior year of high school. At the Council, my duties included working alongside the International Affairs Director to promote the vision of the Council, conducting research on potential speakers and programs for events, promoting membership through outreach initiatives, as well as planning and attending the various events held through the Council. Through the internship, I was also able to meet several international leaders including the administrator of NASA Charles Bolden, Ambassadors to the US from Gabon and the United Arab Emirates, and the former Ambassador to Afghanistan from the US Ron Neumann.