I graduated magna cum laude from Lewis and Clark College in May 2017 with a degree in psychology. After graduating, I decided to take a year to work, volunteer and live in Portland, Oregon before applying to graduate school where I plan to pursue a master’s degree in counseling.

Currently, I volunteer for the Dougy Center, where we facilitate grief groups for children who have lost a parent. I feel passionate about my work with the Dougy Center because it connects to my own personal story; my father died in 2001, right before I started first grade at Aurora. I find that working around the subject of grief helps me to understand not only about how humans view death, but also how they approach life.

I also work as a volunteer with the Heroic Imagination Project (HIP). This organization uses a positive psychological approach to teaching everyday heroism, providing people with the tools and understanding to enable them to step up in challenging situations.

My time as a student at Aurora taught me to love learning, advocate for myself, seek out my teachers for help, follow my passions, and be organized. It provided me with an environment where learning was fun, and history and social studies were approached thoughtfully rather than just teaching us rote facts. I still remember songs from Aurora school plays and maintain contact with several of my most beloved teachers.

Aurora prepared me for life after elementary school by helping me become a lifelong learner. Aurora prepared me beyond just academics; I was exposed to the values of taking care of my friends, my neighbors, and the world. As a student at Aurora, I felt enmeshed in a community, one that still stands out to me more than any other school I have attended. Even as a young person, it was evident to me that my teachers at Aurora cared deeply about their students and each other. Aurora is a place that celebrates individuality and kindness, values I hold dearly to this day.

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