Grace Eldridge Email & Phone Number

I desire to brighten others' days, first and foremost; making a difference in peoples' lives is what motivates me and gives me a sense of purpose in the workplace. I first found an outlet for this desire in musical and dramatic art and performance: being able to take people to a place where they can be immersed in a story, where all that's asked of them is to relax and enjoy and be entertained - that caught my attention at a young age. My passion brought me to other volunteer work as well: watching over children in the nursery at my church, researching rats' ultrasonic vocalizations in order to better understand human joy and laughter, working with faculty advisors at my university to facilitate a community for healthy interfaith discussion and fellowship, teaching children choreography for their middle school musical. I've also found much satisfaction in customer service work in the restaurant and food service industry: cooking someone a delicious meal they can enjoy, or starting a customer's day with a cup of coffee, a friendly greeting, and a smile. Finally, during a gap year while in college, I worked as a Special Education Paraprofessional at a public middle school in my community. My daily objective was to accommodate each student by reconciling their personal experience with the broader classroom’s, facilitating communication between student, teacher, parent, and other peers. Upon graduating from Columbia University, I'm now ready to take another step forward, to learn how I can help others in a new environment and context. Whether that be through advancing a nonprofit's outreach, or assisting prospective college students with admissions or financial aid, I look forward to an opportunity to grow and learn something new.

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  Special Education Paraprofessional

  Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

  Oct 2021 - May 2022 - Palmer, Alaska, United States