I have had the incredible opportunities to engage professionally, academically, and extracurricularly as I have progressed in my career. I currently serve as the Program Manager for the Danny Wuerffel Foundation, and I have previously served as the Coordinator of Campus Events and Traditions at the University of Florida and in several roles at the University of Mississippi including the Graduate Assistant for Student Activities, a Practicum Internship Student with the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, and a Practicum Internship Student with the Dean of Students. Additionally, I spent a summer as a NODA Orientation Internship at Auburn University with the Camp War Eagle Program within First-Year Experience. Lastly, I have engaged in leadership opportunities as the President of the Student Personnel Association at UM and a member of the Student Personnel and Higher Education Advisory Council at UF.
Through these experiences, I’ve gained invaluable experience in the worlds of project management, financial management, collegiate student engagement, business development, fundraising, event planning and more. I have been honored to have been named the National Association for Campus Activities C. Shaw Smith Outstanding New Professional Award recipient in February 2022 and the Sparky Reardon Outstanding Dedication and Service recipient from the University of Mississippi School of Education in May 2021.
Program Manager – Danny Wuerffel Foundation
Through my role at the Wuerffel Foundation, I have been a part of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars and implementing programs toward the mission of inspiring greater service and unity in the world under the leadership of Heisman Trophy Winner and College Football Hall of Famer, Danny Wuerffel.
The cultivation of corporate sponsorships and individual donations in conjunction with two signature events, the PickleBowl pickleball pro am tournament and the Desire Cup golf tournament, contributed to a successful fundraising fall. Doubling the size and impact of the PickleBall and relocating the Desire Cup to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra were huge accomplishments of these events.
Additionally, facilitating the nomination of 103 Wuerffel Trophy nominees from NCAA college football teams, overseeing the narrowing and selection by an illustrious national voting panel, and prepared celebrations for the Home Depot College Football Awards and the Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala at the College Football Hall of Fame has been a highlight of the role. The Wuerffel Trophy celebrates outstanding community service in college football players, and seeing these student athletes commit to service above self has been inspiring.
Coordinator of Campus Events and Traditions – University of Florida
My time at the University of Florida was rich with opportunities to learn, grow and connect. Through my various roles working with GatorDays, Homecoming and Gator Growl, the Junior Class Councils, Student Activities and Involvement Student Assistants, the Student Personnel and Higher Education Advisory Council and VisDays experience, and more, I grew tremendously.
I was brought on the Student Activities and Involvement team at UF in March of 2021 to evaluate a struggling student group, the Reitz Programming Board, and create a plan of action to either restructure and revitalize the group or build something new in its place. After a two month long culture audit consisting of focus groups, data analysis, interviews with staff and student stakeholders and more, it became abundantly clear that the struggles with member retention and engagement, event attendance and satisfaction, brand recognition, structural efficiency and innovative programming were yielding a fresh start. In its place, GatorDays, a new student event planning organization hosting daytime events on campus and off campus trips, was born. In its first two years, GatorDays increased average event attendance by over 700%, more than tripled its student leader applicant pool, expanded its social media following by over 4,000 followers, and more efficiently narrowed its focus as an organization structurally and financially. We took more than 1,500 students off campus to locations included Walt Disney World, Hamilton and Wicked on Broadway, Tampa Bay Lightning, Universal Studios and more. It was an honor to lead this group as their Advisor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to utilize my creativity, business savviness, and innovation to create a more sustainable and engaging programming group at UF.
In addition to my work with GatorDays, I had a host of other duties at Florida that made my time meaningful in my role. I served as an Advisor to the Class Councils (specifically the Junior Class) and was a part of helping them launch their inaugural Ring Dance. Inspired by several peer institutions across the country including Virginia Tech and the Naval Academy, we strived to increase the affinity and spirit surrounding the tradition of the Class Ring.
I worked alongside Florida Blue Key to put on various elements of the Homecoming festivities including the Homecoming Leadership Pageant and the Parade. Guiding the students through their first two Pageants following the pandemic, streamlining scoring efforts, and creating a more efficient and entertaining show are some of the biggest accomplishments as we selected the Homecoming Court through the Pageant. Additionally, I was able to serve as the liaison with the President’s Office for creating the VIP experience at the President’s Brunch and Parade.
As a member of the Student Personnel and Higher Education Advisory Council, I was a part of two EduGator VisDays experiences for admitted graduate students to interview and match with graduate assistantships at the university. Through this, I was able to lead the Logistics Committee focused on providing a smooth hybrid interview experience, host interview workshops with prospective students, increase communication with admitted students and hiring employers, and engage current graduate students with the process. It was a great way to connect with fellow staff members in the Division of Student Life while contributing to the future sustainability and allure of the higher education profession.
Student Activities Association Graduate Assistant – University of Mississippi
One of my favorite things about my time working with the Student Activities Association is how diverse the experiences are that I encountered. SAA had five separate focus areas: entertainment, homecoming, pageants, special events and public relations, and 15 students serve on the Executive Council that oversaw these activities. Throughout the year, these separate co-director teams worked with their respective committees that totaled over 125 students to put on free programming for students on campus. From fall and spring concerts to Hotty Toddy Holidays to Welcome Week to Miss University to Homecoming Week and more, I helped plan, execute and assess over 100 events a year.
Working with these student leaders was such a joy. They were hard working, creative, persistent and so much fun to be with! Serving as one of their advisors was one of the best aspects of my work, and I learned so much about what it means to be an effective, supportive and growth-minded advisor. Whether it was advancing my skills with graphic design or other promotional efforts, learning how to set up an elaborate speaker system, handling a crisis as the clock winds down to the start of an event or trying to think of new and groundbreaking event ideas, this work stretched me and challenged me to grow.
Being a part of the Student Union staff at Ole Miss is another aspect of what made my assistantship so dynamic. Being a part of not just student activities but all of the leadership and engagement components of student life at UM along with facility operations gave me a broad view of student affairs. I worked with an incredible team that taught me a great deal about student organization management and event registration, leadership programming, student government, space reservations and more.
Camp War Eagle Orientation Internship – Auburn University
After completing a rigorous, several month long application and interview process, I was thrilled to accept a NODA Internship working with the Camp War Eagle Orientation Program at Auburn University. In the midst of COVID-19 struggles, it was surprising and exciting news to learn that I would still be able to travel to Auburn to complete my internship. While it looked a bit different that originally expected, I was still eager to learn about acclimating and welcoming first year students and their families to campus. From working as an on-call staff member on the crisis response team to processing assessment data from students and families to improving my ability to create online content that expanded my ability to engage in an online platform, I took so many transferable skills away from my time at Auburn.
Dean of Students Practicum – University of Mississippi
Throughout my duration in the program, I had the chance to complete two practicums (semester-long internships). I spent my first semester with the Dean of Students and learned so much from him. Dipping my toes in the areas of student advocacy, Greek life, student conduct and the student union gave me a much deeper understanding of how these areas work and how they can best support students. Additionally, I was able to plan several division-wide professional development meetings and as well as celebratory or educational luncheons with students, staff and faculty including Student Leader Luncheons. I continued to serve as a Steering Committee Member for the Who’s Who and Hall of Fame Ceremonies and Induction processes. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in this practicum.
Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement Practicum – University of Mississippi
My work in my second Practicum with the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement was so rewarding. A main component of this internship was researching, developing and presenting models for an inclusion and social justice leadership institute for undergraduate students. Additionally, I explored and crafted structures for a DEI-focused registered student organization and living learning communities. Another facet of this internship was partnering with the Senior Officers to promote the Senior Gift that fundraises and spreads awareness about the Inclusive Excellence Retention Fund that benefits undergraduate students in need that are advancing inclusion efforts on campus. Gaining this experience with the CICCE as well as financial development was invaluable. Increasing my ability to facilitate diversity awareness presentations was a part of this internship that I will maintain far beyond this internship.
