Originally from Lakeside Park, Kentucky, I spent the majority of my life in the Greater Cincinnati area, particularly in West Chester, Ohio. Discovering my passion for health promotion and education was a unique journey. I had begun my college career in 2009 at the University of Cincinnati with the Darwin T. Turner Scholarship and an interest in medical imaging technology, but I eventually found my true calling towards personal health and nutrition after taking a few health-related courses.
The first organization I joined at the university was Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., which is an Asian-interest sorority. This organization enabled me to develop professional skills in management as their President from 2011 to 2013 and as their Secretary from 2013 to 2014. Throughout my undergraduate career, I became involved with volunteer programs targeting the under-served populations of Cincinnati and developed a strong interest in working with organizations that provided health-related activities and resources for minority populations. These organizations included College Mentors for Kids, Matthew 25 Ministries, Bearcats 4 Wellness, UC Fit for Life, the Freestore Foodbank, the Asian Community Alliance, and the Center for Closing the Health Gap.
During my final year of undergraduate studies, I began my internship at the Center for Closing the Health Gap as well as at the Asian Community Alliance, which are both non-profit organizations in Cincinnati. At the Center for Closing the Health Gap, I helped oversee the Do Right! Corner Store Network by managing nutrition education at corner store markets in Central and West Cincinnati and teaching nutrition classes to the Inner City Tennis Club in Sharonville. As an intern at the Asian Community Alliance, I oversaw the production of an educational DVD on domestic violence for their Project HOPE campaign.
Upon graduating on May 2, 2015, I plan to pursue a career in health promotion or health education involving under-served populations in the Greater Cincinnati area. Cincinnati is flourishing in many ways, but there are still areas that need to be addressed when it comes to community health and I hope to help make a positive difference in that change.
In my free time, I do free-lance work as an assistant wedding photographer for Brooke Townsend Photography and Thomas Nguyen Photography. I also enjoy trying new restaurants, cooking, doing arts & crafts, watching movies, going to live concerts, and traveling to new places.