After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Political Science, History, and Women’s and Gender Studies, I worked in several advocacy based non-profits before earning my Master of Social Work (MSW) from the Silver School of Social Work at New York University. I started my formal MSW training with the PAL after-school program, providing virtual socioemotional support, learning, and therapy for elementary school students and their after-school counselors through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. I next worked with Henry Street Settlement at Orchard Collegiate Academy, where I provided psychotherapy and additional supportive services to high school students, especially LGBTQ+ and Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) individuals, focusing on anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, and self esteem.

As a social worker at The Door, a youth services nonprofit, I provided psychotherapy and case management services for young people between the age of 16 and 24, addressing and supporting clients navigating PTSD, grief, abuse, depression, anxiety, mental health crises, LGBTQ2IA+ identities, relationships, homelessness, food insecurity, and other needs as required. I built the structure of the social work role within the department, led group sessions to continue to build community in the wake of COVID-19, taught classes on socioemotional learning, and created a database of city-wide referrals. I created multiple mental health support templates and individualized plans, and increased inter-departmental relationships to provide improved services for all clients.

I also spend a few weeks over the summer serving as a Mental Health Professional (MHP) with Camp Kesem, a sleep-away camp for children between the ages of 6 and 18 impacted by a guardian’s cancer. I provide support services for all campers and counselors, helping all camp participants navigate loss, grief, anxiety, depression, bullying, LGBTQ2IA+ identities, and self esteem. I am also a member of Camp Kesem’s LGBTQ2IA+ Affinity Group, meeting monthly and leading discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity with current and former camp counselors.