Brill Bash: A Celebration of Brilliance, Belonging, and Dreams
August 15, 2025
I believe that creating a healthy, safe, and nurturing environment for kids is one of the best investments we can make in our future. The amazing team at Student U works daily to create these environments and opportunities for NC’s kids. I feel so lucky to be able to join the Student U team and work alongside brilliant minds sharing an optimistic vision of the future and working to support NC’s kids, families, educators, and communities.
I have always worked on the side to help small, new nonprofits get up and running. There is an excitement and an energy surrounding an organization that is new on the scene and ready to dig into a problem. I love providing administrative support for those organizations to focus that new, bristling energy on the problems they want to solve, rather than the tedious and difficult administrative work that comes with starting a new organization. The organizations I work with typically focus on individuals involved in the justice system, individuals recovering from substance use, and organizations that serve kids and marginalized populations. I also love working with organizations that believe in systems-level change and thinking about old problems in new ways.
The one piece of advice I return to is from my very first boss, Dan Gilbert, an amazing teacher, mentor, and thinker:
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
It’s a simple but powerful sentence, and it helps me when I get stuck on a problem that seems intractable or insurmountable. Sometimes, we can become so entrenched in the way things have always been done that it feels scary or intimidating to try making a change, even when we know things can be better than they are. Realizing that nothing changes if nothing changes can help us push past some of that stickiness and pursue a course of action, even if it’s not perfect.
Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance in Nebraska
RISE in Nebraska
Amethyst Recovery Solutions in Minnesota
Al Shifa Clinic in Minnesota
48in48 in Georgia
Iowa State University
The University of Nebraska at Omaha
Psychology
Master’s in Public Administration
I helped co-found the MUSC Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (MIND), a center that conducts cutting-edge research, trains scientists, and allows individuals with traumatic brain injuries and other neurological conditions navigate the healthcare system as well as receive longitudinal care & rehabilitation. MIND was the first comprehensive traumatic brain injury care institute in the state of South Carolina, and I was fortunate to have been presented with the opportunity to develop the core accounting structure, internal controls, and strategic planning.
April 21, 2025
The brilliance and successes of Student U’s community
