The transformative power of international travel and service, pivotal in shaping my worldview, forms the cornerstone of my mission to enrich others' lives with similar experiences.

At the age of seventeen, I spent a year abroad in Brazil as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. This trip represented several firsts for me and my family: my first passport, making me the first passport holder in my family, my first time navigating an airport, my first flight, and my first immersive experience in a different culture. Living with a Brazilian family, embracing their customs and traditions, and learning Portuguese, I developed a deep-rooted sense of global citizenship, cultural curiosity, and a yearning for continuous personal growth.

This formative experience sparked a passion that led me to spend two years in Vanuatu as a Peace Corps Volunteer. In the jungles of Vanuatu I taught English to 200 students, was awarded a grant from the USAID to bring solar powered lighting to my school’s campus, and taught entrepreneurial skills to the local villagers.

While these experiences inspired deep personal transformation and joy, the ultimate sense of fulfillment was yet to be realized.

As the Director of Business Recruitment at the Asheville-Buncombe Economic Development Coalition I had the pleasure of mentoring a student intern. Throughout her internship summer, I shared with her the life-altering impact of my various international travels and services. This student, deeply moved by my experiences, developed an application, with my guidance, for the Rotary Youth Exchange. She was accepted into the program and in the fall of 2024, she will live for a year in Belgium as a Rotary Youth Exchange student.

I've come to understand that true fulfillment lies, not in my ability to have or accumulate these experiences, but rather in my capacity to share and extend these opportunities to others. This profound realization has been the driving force behind the founding of Elevated Up and Out.

Elevated Up and Out, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, empowers socioeconomically disadvantaged youth with fully funded passports, immersive international travel experiences, community service projects abroad, and exposure to international careers and service opportunities. This summer, we're taking 6 students to Costa Rica for Elevated Up and Out's inaugural trip, backed by the Rotary Club of Asheville and hosted by our Rotaract Cartago partners. Our mission is to cultivate empathy, global awareness, and personal growth, empowering these young individuals to transcend their circumstances and become catalysts for positive change.

I aspire for my contributions in my lifetime to be measured not by what I’ve accrued personally but by the value I’ve been able to create and give to others.