Service Learning Competency

I strive to have a positive impact on people with whatever I engage in, from my clubs to volunteer days to random acts of kindness on the street. I take pride in myself and appreciate when people notice how I give extra effort to help others. However, I did not feel I had a very fulfilling college career until I began dedicating whole days to bettering my community. I've been able to give significant contributions to my school, town, and state since then.

Resident Advising

In my 3rd year at the School of Mines, I became a resident advisor for the Weaver Towers first year dorm on campus. The goal of the residence life department at CSM is to support students during their college career from before the day they start to their graduation day. I chose this position because of my wish to help other students younger than me have the great experience I got in my first couple years. I wanted to encourage upcoming engineers at a demanding school to believe in themselves and trust the process.

My residents in Weaver Towers and then my 2nd year residents in the Mines' Jackson Street apartments have grown personally over only the course of a year. Many of them have tried new things like clubs or outdoor activities or courses, and most of them have enjoyed their overall experience thus far in college. While I try to remain a passive leader and mentor for them, I am glad to have been able to help them in their early careers outside of their parents' homes. I love how I've been able to add to their lives and get to see the things they do in the future.

Overflowing Opportunities

Gingerbread houses with Professors

One program I put on with a couple of my co-RA's got students talking with their professors outside of class, in a fun and relaxing environment. Professors reflected on their careers and gave like advice to residents of 1750 Jackson.

Another program again invited Mines professors in, this time to start a career paths discussion while decorating mugs in a peaceful setting.

Educational and encouraging bulletin boards

For passive student encouragement, I made many bulletin boards over two years, for dorm residents to walk by and learn on their own time.

Denver Habitat for Humanity

After being inspired by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Denver Young Members Group, I signed up for a build day with the local Habitat for Humanity organization section. I was really excited to use my body to do something positive for another family I didn't know. I joined other Denver area civil engineers to continue construction on a Habitat house, and we made real progress that day. At the end of it, I learned more about the process and did something I was proud of.

It was such a positive experience, I decided to do it again a year later. This time it was a different house with a different family, and I worked with different people. It was still the great fulfilling experience I hoped for. I plan on continuing to volunteer for occasional Habitat for Humanity build days, hopefully bringing more people with me

Dinosaur Ridge

Because of my interest in dinosaurs as a young kid, and the great setup they have, I also began helping at the local dinosaur track site and exhibit, Dinosaur Ridge.

I started of as a docent for the exhibit hall, and learned all I could about dinosaur, like how the front paws of theropods only show up when they're walking, not running. I taught young kids that reminded me of myself, awesome facts and the history of our local geology.

Later on, I began staining the tracks on our elevated site. We use a charcoal and water mixture to simply stain the prints, ensuring no negative environmental impact. Nonetheless, the impact on the public is priceless; we improve visitors experience and help them help themselves.