Service and Legacy (2023/2024)

Initiated into the Omicron Beta SIgma chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated (2024).

Initiated into the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honor Society (2023)

Teaching (2022 - 2024)

 Taught the Introduction to Research freshmen seminar while guiding students to develop university-level writing skills and independent research projects (2023).

Taught courses on the American Civil Rights Movement and Mississippi Civil Rights Movement through the LSU Lifelong Learning Initiative (2023 - 2024).

Served as Teaching Assistant for Western Civilization to 1500, Intro to Asia, World History since 1500, and U.S. History since 1865 (2022-2024).

Awards for Service and Scholarship (2023)

Received the AAAS Changemaker Award for service and scholarship impacting Africans and African Americans at LSU and beyond, LSU Department of African and African American Studies

Received the “Happy” Award from the LSU Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership for outstanding contributions to service-learning

Advocating for Graduate Students (2022-2023)

Advocated for over 3,000 graduate students at an R-1 university and lobbied administrators resulting in the university providing highly subsidized health insurance coverage for graduate assistants as Vice President of the LSU Graduate Student Association (2022-2023)

African and African American Studies

• Served as President of the Society for African and African American Studies;

• Assisted in rallying student support for the promotion of the African and African American Studies Program to Departmental Status and served as the student speaker at the department launch celebration;

• Coordinated over 100 classroom visits for AAAS presentations and developed partnerships with other student organizations, while working with the AAAS department chair to meet departmental development goals and expand the reach of the department/student organization/academic discipline.

Summer 2022 Graduate Scholar in Center for Community Engagement Leadership and Learning

• Developed knowledge of community-engaged and community-responsive research and practices;

• Developed and implemented service-learning opportunities for a course on the Civil Rights Movement, allowing students to connect historical collective action with the contemporary moment.

LSU Student Senate

• Led the Student Senate’s body of 60 senators as Speaker, while creating dialogue between senators, LSU Administration, and students on food insecurity, mental health, health resources, diversity and inclusion, police-community relations, and other issues;

• Served as a representative for students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and Committee Chair while working with administrators in LSU Dining, Student Health Center, the Women’s Center, and Auxiliary Services.

NAACP Chapter at LSU

• Co-organized a series of first-of-their-kind multicultural Student Government debates;

• As Education Committee Chair, I brought students together around contemporary and historical issues of equity and justice, while promoting mentorship programs for LSU students and community residents;

• As secretary, I coordinated key events (ex. Image Awards, Black LSU Debate, Flag Football Tournament)

Shreveport - Bossier's Startup Digest

• Served as the founding curator of Startup Digest: Shreveport - Bossier, an email newsletter that provides information on weekly events and startup activity in Shreveport - Bossier.

Shreveport - Bossier's Startup Genome

• Served as the founding curator for Startup Genome in Shreveport - Bossier, a project to map the startup ecosystem, including startups and resources, in Shreveport - Bossier.

Shreveport - Bossier Startup Community Group

• Founded the Shrevepot - Bossier Startup Community Facebook Group to spread word of startup successes, startup failures, and startup events in the Shreveport - Bossier and North Louisiana Startup Communities.

Shreveport - Bossier Startup Community History

• Wrote a brief history of major events in the Shreveport - Bossier startup community and a call for a larger future.

Cohab

• Served as a lead on efforts to integrate with educational institutions, execute programming, and organize community resources at Cohab, a workspace, business incubator, and startup ecosystem hub in Shreveport - Bossier.

1 Million Cups: Shreveport - Bossier

• Served as a founding organizer of Shreveport - Bossier Chapter of the 1 Million Cups entrepreneur education program sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation.

The 20/20 Challenge

• Founded and coordinated The 20/20 Challenge, a competition and training camp for young entrepreneurs in Shreveport - Bossier.

Ignite Shreveport - Bossier

• Founded and organized Ignite Shreveport - Bossier, a TED style event featuring presentations by local creatives, professionals, and students, with a charitable component to draw attention/resources to the local non-profit space.