Outreach & Teaching
I love working with youth, particularly in the realms of STEM and outdoor education. My passion for outreach was gained as a high school member of Mountaineer Area RoboticS (MARS) FRC #2614, which took me around the state of West Virginia spreading enthusiasm for STEM through hands-on activities. Since then I've gained other educational experiences through both volunteer and paid teaching roles, and was awarded a Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Student Service Award for my community involvement. Some of my favorite teaching experiences are elaborated upon below.
Highlight: Virtual Instruction
In 2020-2021 when in-person STEM instruction was impossible, I became part of CMU's virtual Gelfand Outreach team. One of my major deliverables was planning, filming, and editing an interactive Intro to Coding class for grades 4-6. The class video can be viewed to the left, and followed using these activity worksheets.
Teaching Experience
FIRST Robotics
In partnership with my high school robotics team I completed my Girl Scout Gold Award by planning, funding, and implementing a 10-team after-school robotics club at my elementary school.
While at CMU I became an awards & media mentor for the Girls of Steel high school team, sharing knowledge on public speaking, graphic design, video production, and strategic writing.
CMU Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach
I work the Gelfand Center's Saturday Sessions, which are monthly classes covering STEM topics for grades K-8. I started as a class assistant and by senior year was the lead instructor for WeDo Robotics (grades 3-5) and BugBots classes (grades K-2).
Through the Gelfand Center I also did afterschool tutoring in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh at an educational program called Assemble.
Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania
I spent a summer as a Unit Leader at a GSWPA summer camp, leading other staff members in planning and executing weekly residential oudoor education curriculum.
I've also volunteered at various Girl Scout events and troops including one Pittsburgh troop that I helped to found and met with monthly during the first half of my time at CMU.
CMU Teaching Assistant Positions
In the fall semesters of my sophomore through senior years I was a TA for the Intro to Psychology course. In this role I planned and led weekly 2-hour lab sessions for groups of 20 students in which they created, ran, and analyzed empirical studies.
In the spring semesters of my sophomore through senior years I was a TA for the Business Computing course, CMU's "masterclass in Excel". This role included running daily office hours to supplement lecture material focused on advanced Microsoft Excel usage and Information Systems management. In 2022 I was the Head TA for the course, becoming the main point of communication and guidance for 240 students and 12 other TAs.