growing into a leadership position in my senior year where I led, arranged, and taught a squad all the things I learned in my previous years playing the clarinet. I started a Ukulele Club called the Ukulele Circle and gave free ukulele lessons every Monday morning until the pandemic kept us from meeting. 

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My aspiration for the future is to travel across borders, whether that be state or country borders is to be determined, and to learn more than those stuck in my small corner town. Currently, I am enrolled at the University of Iowa, majoring in International Studies with minors in Art and Computer Science, with the goal of one day being able to code 3D models from anywhere and travel the world to experience different cultures and languages. Or be able to work with immigrants or refugees within my community and find ways to help these communities with my technical and artistic skills. These dreams have proved to be potentially very expensive for me and my family, but I am not one to quit so easily. 

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In high school, I worked for a small t-shirt printing company called A-Team Apparel as an intern. I learned many things while working there, but the most important thing I learned from the experience was teamwork. It was very interesting to learn how many components go into printing a design on a shirt. From choosing the color of the shirt and designing the logo to buying or mixing ink and deciding the perfect way to print the design. In college, I was an office intern for the Institute for International Business (IIB) at Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa. At the IIB, I have managed social media postings, ordered and set up various catering, and created certificates and advertisements for the many programs the IIB hosts. During past summers, I used to work for the local Maurices in my hometown, where I managed a register, folded display clothes, and returned rejected dressing room try-ons. 
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Recently, I worked at the IIB over the summer in Iowa City, Iowa, where I helped the Tippie College of Business and John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC) host the Mandela Washington Fellowship at the University of Iowa. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is a program sponsored by the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and the Iowa Department for Education, where 700 young African entrepreneurs in all areas of business are awarded a flight to the United States to take part in a six-week business course at various United States universities. At the University of Iowa, I worked closely with the Programs Director for JPEC to plan certain cultural visits and communication with the incoming Fellows. It is a very valuable experience to be able to talk to so many inspiring, aspirational people. Each of them has such unique stories and diverse drives for business. 

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I was lucky enough to have an amazing family that helped me save up enough money to do a whole year studying abroad in New Zealand from July 2024 to July 2025. This experience was truly invaluable. I attended rock carving and weaving classes with Maori teachers who would teach fascinating old ways of manipulating natural resources into art. I traveled all over the South Island during the summer break, where I made many friends and had many fun experiences. This whole dream has come true, and it has made me realize how much I love being abroad and hearing about other ways of life. I was very interested in the New Zealand parliament system as I had not learned much about governments besides the United States system, and it was eye-opening to talk to people from the other side of the world face to face and find commonalities in our upbringings and share funny stories. I know that once I am back inside the United States to finish my degrees at Iowa, I will miss the New Zealand hand pies and the friends I made there the most. 
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I am currently finishing up my last year at the University of Iowa and beginning to search for opportunities after graduation next spring. 

                                                  "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."
                                                                                                                                                            -Walt Disney