1. One of the most important people in my life is my younger brother! He was diagnosed with epilepsy at 3 months old and because of him, epilepsy awareness has become a huge part of my family's life. Over the years we've participated in walks, fundraisers, galas, and charity events, and together we've raised more than $20,000 for the Epilepsy Foundation. What started as supporting my brother has introduced us to an incredible community and become one of the most meaningful parts of our lives.
2. You've might've heard my voice before... Ever heard a Siena commercial on the radio, TV, or online? There's a good chance that's me! Earlier this year, Marketing was looking for a voice that sounded young but professional, so I tried it out... and I guess it stuck! Since then I've recorded around 15 commercials. It's definitely harder than it looks! I've learned that even changing the emphasis on one word can completely change the message.
3. People always ask me if I get nervous singing the National Anthem. The answer? Absolutely. Every. Single. Time!!! I've had the opportunity to sing the anthem before several Siena men's and women's basketball games, but it actually all started back in 2013 when I was just 14 years old singing at the annual Delmar Turkey Trot in front of the whole Bethlehem Community!
4. I travelled over 900 miles to see The Wiggles! Last summer my family flew to Nashville to see The Wiggles perform at the Grand Ole Opry, and honestly, it was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. The reason goes back to 2017, when my brother became seriously ill with pneumonia and spent about a month in a coma. After he woke up, he looked at us and said he needed to find "his brothers"... The Wiggles. Ever since then they've brought him so much joy, so we've fully embraced the obsession. The show was unbelievably inclusive, the performers spent time with the audience, and thanks to a conversation with some crew members before the show, we even got to meet them backstage. I'd recommend a Wiggles concert to anyone, you'll leave smiling!
5. I am a proud transfer to Siena University! After a year and a half at Cortland, I knew I wanted something different. I was looking for smaller classes and professors who actually knew my name instead of lecture halls where attendance meant writing your name on a piece of loose-leaf paper! During a college break, my mom dragged me to a Siena Open House. The very first person who welcomed my family sat down, chatted with us about transfer students, and made us feel like we already belonged. A few minutes later he walked to the podium... and I realized I'd been talking to Brother Ed, the president of the College! His kindness and humility perfectly captured what Siena was all about. Looking back, transferring here is one of the best decisions I've ever made.
6. In eighth grade I played Annie in my middle school's production of Annie. I dyed my hair bright red for the role, and the student playing Daddy Warbucks actually shaved his head. Safe to say our cast was committed! The show was a huge hit, and my mom still jokes that she felt famous because people around the community would stop her just to tell her how much they loved the performance. To this day, she'll find any opportunity to mention that I was Annie!
7. My family's Thanksgiving tradition doesn't involve running... thank goodness! Every Thanksgiving morning, thousands of people run the Delmar Turkey Trot. My family? We cheer them on. Since the race passes right by our house, we set up outside with music, mimosas, mini donuts, juice boxes, and lots of encouragement for the runners. The first year we even made a sign that said, "You run, we drink!"
8. Last August, my friends Nyla, Mariah (who I met at Siena!), and I were sitting in the New York train station eating a chocolate croissant from Starbucks when one of us said, "Imagine if we were eating these in Paris." We laughed and didn't think much of it. A week later, we called each other and booked the trip! In November we spent four days in Paris eating many chocolate croissants, exploring the city, shopping, and taking every Eiffel Tower picture possible. To think it all started with a Starbucks croissant So... this is your sign to book the trip!
9. When I was 18, my mom's school sent out an email looking for people to help proctor the New York Bar Exam over winter break. She couldn't do it but she encouraged me to apply. Suddenly I found myself in a room with more than 1,000 aspiring lawyers from all over the world. For two and a half days I checked IDs, monitored the testing room, answered procedural questions, and made sure nobody was cheating. It wasn't exactly the typical winter break job for an 18-year-old, but getting a behind-the-scenes look at the Bar Exam made it one of the most interesting jobs I've ever had!
10. I co-wrote a play!!! One opportunity I'll always be grateful for at Siena was participating in CURCA with Dr. Krysta Dennis. During COVID, when some research opportunities couldn't happen, Krysta made sure my classmate Meghan Stuart and I could still complete ours. We spent the summer researching Historic Cherry Hill remotely, reading real letters, diaries, artifacts, and documents from the 1800s to write an original play called Tell Me That You'll Not Forget Me. The play highlights the stories of African Americans in Albany history whose voices are too often overlooked, and we even incorporated actual letters and sheet music into the script. We even got to visit Cherry Hill (masks and all!) to tour the house and see the archives and artifacts in person. Seeing it performed first at Siena and then this past year at Historic Cherry Hill is something I'll never forget. It's proof that Siena professors don't just teach, they help students do things they never imagined possible.

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