On the Vision Zero team in Austin's Transportation and Public Works Department, I perform policy analysis and collaborate across the City to end traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Austin. This year, I have assisted the implementation of a $22 million USDOT grant, including data analysis, location scoping, and budgeting. I also work with program managers to harmonize project design and implement a 20-site, left-turn calming pilot. Last year, I synthesized best practices on traffic enforcement and equity for a memo to the Department Director and City Council, which received local press coverage on effective safety measures. Most recently, I led the writing for a public analytics paper, including an analysis of toxicology results for 448 crash victims in Travis County, as covered in the Austin Monitor.

After finishing graduate school, I joined this research project and analyzed a portfolio of 600+ articles for a report on U.S. media health, delivered to the Global Disinformation Index in the U.K. During the project, I adjusted to my team's capacity and increased my hours by 50%, finishing my full portfolio of articles first out of a team of eight.

Before enrolling at UT Austin, I received a Ben Barnes Scholarship in Public Leadership and a Department of Education FLAS Award for Russian. During my time at school, I served on the student government for three years, holding the positions of Parliamentarian, Student Life Director, and Finance Director. In this capacity, I oversaw a $10,000 student fund, a mentor program, and elections on the LBJ School student government. My master's thesis evaluated Russian assistance and media influence in Serbia, which benefited from a Title VIII Award from the State Department. Furthermore, I presented original research on international politics at conferences at the University of Pittsburgh, Columbia University, and UT Austin. Before COVID, I also led the mapping efforts for a research project at the Innovations for Peace and Development Lab.

Joining the Office of Performance Management in the City of Austin's Public Works Department, I focused primarily on leading an evaluation of urban forestry and equity in the city. I assisted the Division Manager in creating a project charter and grew to lead the coordination and implementation of the research, creating protocols, and facilitating 12 interviews for data. As a capstone, I wrote a policy memo, recommending three options to Division Managers, up to a $100,000 hardship fund to improve forestry services. My work aligned the quality of services across the City of Austin, ensured compliance with guidelines, and promoted equity. Additionally, I analyzed how Public Works could support the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan and delivered analytical data on encampment cleanups to executives.

In this role, I assisted Professor Greff's class "First Semester Russian" in the Department of Slavic & Eurasian Studies. As an educator, I provided individual and class feedback on reading, writing, speaking, and listening modules to 30 students. I solicited student strengths and needs from across UT’s extension campus, including engagement and feedback from non-traditional students and adult learners

Working remotely through the Virtual Student Federal Service Program, I mapped U.S. assistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina by acquiring, processing, and integrating public data. Geolocating over 200 grants, I transformed complex federal data to be clear and useful. Presenting web apps to the Head of the Economic Section and Ambassador, I incorporated suggestions and further localized data to improve public diplomacy. This work involved consultations with the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, and USAID on project design. Lastly, I wrote a report on public assistance data, interactive diplomacy, and innovative practices in the State Department.

During COVID, I adapted to uncertainty and successfully interned with BCSDN in a remote environment. In this role, I led research on international development in the Balkans, wrote a report on civil society assistance, and supported the Executive Director by reviewing grant applications to the Swedish International Development Agency. My report examined challenges to civil society, democracy, and sustainability in the Western Balkans. Over the summer, I coordinated and led 11 interviews with development agencies like USAID and analyzed economic data from the OECD and over 70 other sources. Presenting recommendations and notes to leaders was a highlight of my graduate school experience.

As a teaching assistant, I supported Dr. Bell's class "Environmental Change and Sustainability" for the Bridging Disciplines Program. Overseeing weekly grading and attendance for over thirty students, I counseled undergraduates on improving writing and policy analysis to solve environmental challenges.

During my second year at Oliver Scholars, I received a promotion to serve as an Assistant Director of the combined Admissions and Placement Department. In this role, I worked to guide 100 families from NYC, Latin America, and Africa through a fourteen-month application process. One of my proudest accomplishments was to reach out to new partners around the country and expand the school consortium by 10% while caring for relationships and managing academic programs on the weekend. In total, my team secured a 90% acceptance rate and over $3 million in financial aid, meeting previous annual goals.As a member of the larger Programs team, I also supported major public and private events, including the annual gala, interview weekend, and school panels. Helping students and families, I also managed day-to-day communications and developed external materials with the Communications Director. Lastly, I grew and excelled at conducting budget reviews, coordinating financial documents, and submitting accurate expense reports.

Moving back to the United States, I was eager to engage in direct public service and improve equity in education. As a Placement Counselor, I helped low-income students of color from New York, Africa, and Latin America access educational opportunities at selective independent and public schools. In this engaging role, I coordinated day-to-day communications, supported the Director, and oversaw daily operations and outreach for about 80 students in our cohort. I assisted in managing program budgets, compiled statistics, and contributed to analyses for the program cycle and annual reports. During the summer, I also served as Dean of the 5th Grade and led teams in operationalizing community development goals and priorities, ensuring student success. In total, I helped secure over $3 million in financial aid from our partner schools for students and families.

Working in Austria through the Fulbright Program as a Teaching Assistant, I challenged students to engage with topics like current events, government, and business using English as a second language. In particular, I developed a series of lessons and dialogues on the refugee crisis in Eurasia for over 300 students. My duties required me to meet with and counsel seniors on yearlong English preparations for national exams, and I am proud that I helped them achieve exceptional scores. Importantly, I worked with students across various grades and with various national backgrounds (Austrian, West Balkan, and Turkish for example), ensuring respect and diversity of thought in the classroom.

During my summer break as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant, I found an opportunity to study and work in Kyrgyzstan. As a Teaching Intern, I instructed eight English classes per week while creating workshop materials to strengthen foreign language acquisition. Additionally, I took intensive Russian lessons twice a day, four days a week, and reached an intermediate level in one summer. I am proud to have collaborated successfully with Kyrgyz, Russian, and international students from many backgrounds.

In my first role out of college, I worked as an Immigration Paralegal, quickly growing to oversee a portfolio of $100,000 in cases. I managed the intake of evidence, client communication, and the initial drafting of exhibits. A highlight of the experience was that over 90% of my clients were approved by USCIS for nonimmigrant visas while I had the opportunity to assist with more complicated cases adjudicated at U.S. embassies. I exceled at working with and supporting clients from Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

During my last year of college, I assisted the German Department with technological and research tasks, social media, writing, and editing. Additionally, I substituted for Drill Instructors and provided holistic support for a team while holding office hours to tutor and advise students on study abroad experiences. Furthermore, I co-hosted weekly events to foster a sense of community between students and faculty.

During my fieldwork in Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County, I conducted research on the Fall Kill watershed's environmental conditions in the Hudson Valley. Each week, I wrote site reports, marked hot spots for environmental risk, and recommended restoration solutions in a variety of urban and rural environments. My responsibilities also included photographing evidence, investigating tributaries, and collecting qualitative data from residents.

During the summer of my sophomore year, I assisted Attorney Romney Wright's office in Virginia, serving a constituency from around the world, especially Latin America. As an intern, I researched immigration law, including outreach to the U.S. Attorney General's office, and delivered items to the courthouse. Additionally, I created reference materials for clients and staff including Spanish language community centers in Northern Virginia and colleges available to those without citizenship. As part of the team, I helped manage databases (one financial and one administrative), while organizing and digitizing 10+ years of case files and mail. During the internship, I helped manage the office as needed, assisting with manual labor and research on building maintenance.

As a private translator, I obtained research credentials from the Library of Congress to translate the family and business history of Adolf Cluss, a prominent German-American architect in the 1800s. The project was done for an Architectural Historian who was researching the history of Cluss, Washington DC, and northern Virginia.