Degrees:

Master of Public Administration, Levin College of Urban Affairs - Cleveland State University
B.S., Psychology, Northern Arizona University
B.S., Criminology & Criminal Justice, Northern Arizona University

When did you graduate from CSU?
2017

Where are you currently residing?
Columbus, OH

Where are you from?
Asheville, NC

Current Employment:
Legislative Aide, Ohio House of Representatives

Job Duties:
I oversee the daily operation and functions for the office of Ohio State Representative Janine Boyd, District 9. The essential duties I take on include meeting with constituents and interest groups to gain insight on issues and building capacity in support of Rep. Boyd's legislative bills; planning, coordinating, and scheduling appearances and events; generating ideas for legislation and assisting in bill drafts and edits; ensuring that legislation has the appropriate support for it to pass; and writing speeches. Representative Boyd is the Ranking Member on the House Health Committee. As the Aide to the Ranking Member, I am present during all committee meetings where I provide support to committee members by preparing briefs of the bills being heard and answering any policy related questions they may have.

Why did you decide to attend Levin?
My family is originally from Cleveland Heights. I grew up in North Carolina, but my parents and I would drive to Cleveland frequently and it became my second home. Upon completing my undergraduate degrees, I decided to move to Cleveland to be closer to family. I have always had an interest in public service, so after taking a tour and meeting with professors, I knew that I would be able to flourish in Levin’s environment. The best thing was that Levin catered to my learning style. How did your experience at Levin influence your career path? I had the luxury of many hands-on internship and academic opportunities. Those experiences opened many doors and allowed me to network with professionals in a variety of fields. This enabled me to navigate different career paths even while I was still in college.

What's your favorite Levin memory?
My favorite memory at Levin was presenting my research on intergenerational housing at the CLE Housing Hackathon.

What piece of advice do you have for current Levin graduate students?
Take risks. While there are required core classes, take the opportunity to enroll in electives that challenge you and open your eyes to new areas of learning—you might be surprised where that will bring you. Also, speak with your professors and counselors to find mentoring or professional development opportunities.

What was the most valuable lesson you learned at Levin?
Collaboration is key. The public-private-nonprofit world cannot operate in silos. Everyone needs to be at the table. If you’re not invited, bring your own chair and make yourself heard. In an ever-developing world, we need people with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise to be part of the conversations.

What issues are you passionate about/what inspires you?
I am passionate about people being able to live long, happy lives. I strive to encourage this by community development through an education-focused lens. I believe that by providing our youth and families with resources through education, we can help find ways to reduce our carbon footprint and to reduce greenhouse gases (climate change) through innovative strategies and technologies such as funding a second wave Civilian Conservation Corp, solar panels on every house, or harnessing wave and algae power.

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