Interning as a workshop leader with six of the brightest young minds from all different types of backgrounds was truly a insightful experience. We were not just workshop leader and student, college student and high school student, or strangers. Through our shared passion of writing; I was able to nurture a cohesive environment in which each student was able to showcase the best sides of themselves and nurture the most broken.

On March 15th, 2024 I was beyond honored to be invited to the roundtable discussion held at John Carroll University to welcome Ireland's minister for Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, Niall Collins who was in Cleveland to help celebrate the St Patrick's Day Holiday. I was thrilled to be able to speak alongside Philip Metres and other students on behalf of my experience with JCU’s Ireland Peace building Program in May of 2023.

During the weekend of September 29th-October 2nd 2024 I was invited to attend Hillsdale College's first CCA of the season: Christianity in America. This event detailed the importance of interfaith dialogue, even amongst denominations within my own religion, in the hopes of establishing deeper interpersonal relationships. I was granted the opportunity to mingle amongst those of different religious and political groups which strengthened my opinion on the importance of fostering interfaith dialogue.

"Hola. ¿Cómo te llamas?" I said to the older hispanic woman sitting at a card table unfolded in the cafeteria section of the food pantry. She lifted her head, a red straw hat perched delicately on her brow, as I placed a plate of food in front of her before smiling at me. I volunteered here from 2016 till 2019 where I learned deeply the compassion one had to hold for those in different circumstances from the self.  As I washed and sliced vegetables in the kitchen I noticed the incredibly patience required to be a quiet leader and to humble oneself when situations require it,  (Note: There is no link connected to this read more button.)

From May 15th till May 29th 2023, I filmed scenes across both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for the JCU Peacebuilding Program. This was an optional extension of the Ireland Contemporary Literature & Film course offered at my university which explored the dynamics of conflict during The Troubles. This was a period of violence that lasted nearly 30 years from the late 1960s till 1998 in Northern Ireland. Through this experience, I watched the process of what it meant to bring peace to a country as a leader.