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ABOUT ME
01.
Education
I am a 2018 Cum Laude graduate having earned a Bachelor's Degree in K-8 Elementary Education and a minor in Psychology. Growing up, teaching and learning was always a passion of mine. I was that kid who LOVED homework. In high school, I began volunteering in a 4th-grade classroom, substitute taught throughout college, and upon graduation created/directed an Honors Diploma Program at a high school.
02.
Giving Back
Service has been something that has been engrained in me since I was a little girl. Having grown up with a substantial congenital heart condition, after college it was extremely important for me to not only become an advocate for CHD, but serve some of the organizations that provide so much to those living with CHD.
I currently serve as a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association, sit on the Young Adult Board for the Children's Heart Foundation, as well serve as the Social Media Coordinator for It's My Heart - New England
I am the 2020 Christenbury Award recipient for outstanding community service and two-time Gold Presidential Service Award Recipient with 4,000+ community service hours over the past several years.
03.
Pageantry
I began my pageant journey in 2018 and in 2019, I had the incredible honor of being crowned USA National Miss Maine 2020. Their mission is to leave young women PositivelyEmpowered™, encouraged, inspired, and equipped to reach their full potential. During my reign, I had the mission of serving with passion and purpose. I was a voice for heart disease prevention and awareness, founded my program CHD Tablet Talk, worked to promote UNM's initiative of positive pageantry, and so much more. I was lucky enough to continue my journey with the organization as USA National Miss Pine Tree State 2021 where I continued my work and at Nationals placed 1RU to the Role Model Title.
In 2023, I was crowned Ultimate International Ms. Maine with the Ultimate International Miss Organization. Their mission is to inspire young women to be the ultimate version of themselves by helping girls understand that truly embracing who they are will allow them to become their personal best and inspires them to achieve goals and dreams they have only ever imagined. One of their initiatives is the #UltimateImpact where I was able to continue serving with passion and purpose by being a voice for heart disease prevention/awareness and CHD advocacy.
*Follow my pageant Instagram to see future pageant endeavors here*
04.
Published Author
As an educator, one tool that I believe children learn really well through is stories. Alongside my family, I co-authored two children's books -- Nellie and Ellie's Kindergarten Adventures and Nellie and Ellie's A Heart Like Mine. Kindergarten Adventures addresses bullying. Through it, the reader is able to learn what bullying is, what a bystander is, and ways that we can always treat others with kindness. A Heart Like Mine illustrates a game that I played growing up while experiencing extended hospital stays.
*Click book image to purchase*
05.
The mission at CHD Tablet Talk is to keep children with complex congenital heart disease (CHD) connected and engaged while experiencing lengthy stays in the hospital.
While the world has experienced the life of quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this is unfortunately not a new struggle for those who live with chronic and serious health conditions, and sadly, it does complicate it further. Children are often admitted to specialty hospitals that may be located hours or even several states away from home. Older children often have phones that allow them to stay in touch with friends and family, as well as play games on a handheld device, however, younger children most likely do not have these resources. Being no stranger to the challenges that a lengthy hospital stay can pose having had 8 open heart surgeries myself, it became one of the many reasons why I created CHD Tablet Talk.
*Click logo to go to website*
06.
Speaker
Due to my experiences, it has become my mission to raise awareness for both congenital and acquired heart disease. I am grateful to have been a national speaker having had appearances at large events, radio interviews, podcasts, as well as several social media platforms. Visit my Partner With Me page to invite me as a speaker to your next event.
07.
Content Creator / Blogger
One thing that I love to do is create lifestyle, fashion, recipes, and beauty content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. It is a wonderful creative outlet that allows me to engage with a community of thousands.
