Professional Summary
MALD Candidate at The Fletcher School with international community development experience, concerned about the plight of children and focused on developing real-world interventions. Enthusiastic about harnessing soccer for a variety of diplomatic ends, including youth empowerment and peacebuilding. Interested in bridging the worlds of policy and documentary filmmaking by shedding light on human stories behind global issues. Fluent in Spanish and French.
Education
Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) Candidate
The Fletcher School (TUFTS)
Fields of Study: Global Governance & International Organizations; Human Security & Humanitarian Affairs
Graduate Certificate in Short Film
Salt Institute for Documentary Studies
Honors & Awards: Maine Outdoor Film Festival Emerging Maine Filmmaker Award
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Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in International Affairs
University of Maine
Honors & Awards: Summa Cum Laude, 'Highest Honors' Thesis, Phi Beta Kappa, Honors College Service Award '23, Fulbright Canada Killam Fellowship, Center for Undergraduate Research Fellowship & Symposium 1st Prize Award
Honors Thesis: Climate Action at University of Maine: Documentary, Disquisition & Defense
Professional Experience
Program Director
The Children’s Iniative
Developed a personalized, holistic and multigenerational international community development participation model based on the principle that economic capital (investment) produces social capital, consequently, fostering economic opportunities for rural communities in Honduras to serve themselves and not feel obligated to migrate North.
Managed assets owned by subsidiary NGO in Honduras, including a civic center and a magnet school (est. 2013) – built to expand upon the rural education model designed by the government to bring secondary-level schools to remote communities, in particular indigenous areas such as the bucolic Locomapa Valley TCI serves.
Experienced career growth that originated in volunteering and progressed to designing, monitoring, and evaluating a variety of replicable and scalable education-based programs to accelerate localization in Honduras, with a focus on involving student leadership and evaluating students deserving of TCI-funded scholarships for universities.
Pioneered and jointly-developed, with the very best local human capital, a sustainable agriculture program, a dance program, and a soccer program – initially designed to increase student recruitment and retention in response to the pandemic – all of which enabled underserved children and their communities to foster healthy and productive lives.
Pursued several parallel initiatives including, widespread food/water security improvements, reforestation (mahogany and teak trees), cash crops (coffee and cacao), drought resistant cover crops (sorghum and buckwheat), with the intention to generate economic benefits.
Demonstrated cross-cultural awareness and communication by collaborating with and providing Spanish interpretation and translation services for all relevant stakeholders – community leaders, teachers, students, farmers, lawyers, government officials, etc.
Coordinated the NGO's fundraising strategy by establishing a personalized donor base, remodeling the website interface, and heading the creative direction for professional marketing collateral, including an Impact Video, which was used as a catalyst for fundraising.
Awarded the Ochylski Family Foundation Grant, enabling the strategic long-term investment in a 2025 Mazda BT50 to solve issues related to transportation in rural areas, including support for the growth of the magnet school, local church activities, medical emergencies, and the movement of cash crops to local markets.
Activated partnerships with: Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative, Ochylski Family Foundation.
Program Assistant
Portland Hearts of Pine Foundation
Piloted a safe, free, after-school, youth-development program leveraging soccer to promote social inclusion, equity, mental health, life skills development, and rich social-emotional opportunities for youth across the Portland region, in particular at-risk and asylum-seeking youth.
Integrated a mindfulness-based curriculum adapted from Rosati Leadership Academy’sframework (Lewiston, ME), tailoring it to meet the cultural and social needs of Portland’s diverse communities, and informed Club Founder on strategic decisions on program scaling and stakeholder engagement.
Activated partnerships with: East End Community School, Maine Community Foundation, Maine Boys to Men.
Program Assistant
Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center
Experienced career growth that originated in case management and progressed to development, and then culminated in launching Soccer Saturday – a free, recurring soccer program centered at the futsal court in Kennedy Park.
Catalyzed community through sport and capitalized on the public urban design of a futsal court to mobilize masses of people, in particular hundreds of immigrant youth struggling with community integration, food security, language barriers, mental health, social isolation, and more.
Established community values with a close-knit committee of grassroot community leaders, organized and facilitated free, inclusive, daily pickup soccer sessions and seasonal tournaments averaging 200+ participants, and gained an Instagram following of 2,000+ in one year for @KennedyParkPickupSoccer.
Demonstrated additional leadership qualities by counseling, empowering, and mentoring youth; raising funds and collecting donations; recruiting advisors and other leaders to sustain community growth; resolving violent and interpersonal conflicts; and responding to medical emergencies.
Coordinated unique opportunities for youth to be directly involved with the Portland Heart of Pine Soccer Club, such as free tickets to games and events, personal interactions with Club players and coaches, modeling assignments, and principally, facilitated their involvement in marketing and branding focus groups to select Club logos and jerseys.
Awarded the Maine Humanities Council Major Grant, powering the impact campaign for and production of Courts of Belonging, a documentary short that captures the intimate stories of immigrant youth who find strength in community and soccer. Maximized the potential of storytelling for impact by spearheading a campaign to reach public audiences.
Activated partnerships with: Portland Hearts of Pine Soccer Club, Maine Humanities Council.