Side-Gig

Volunteer Work

Over the years I've jumped upon a few different volunteer opportunities that've come my way. Some made use of my marketing/design/dev skills while another took me to rural villages in the Dominican Republic.

Make a Mark — Blacksburg

a 12-hour hackathon for nonprofits

Make A Mark is an annual event designed to help nonprofits with technical expertise they otherwise might not be able to afford. During the 12 hours, nonprofits have access to a team of designers, developers, and marketers. I was proud to be a part of the first ever Make A Mark at its inception as well as subsequent years. It's now expanded to over 14 different cities and you can find out more about it here.

Our team of designers and developers discussing best ways to implement a website in the short timespan.

Me presenting during a midday meeting with the client to check in and get feedback.

Community Service Alliance — Dominican Republic

locally-led support powered by interfaith exploration

Hillel at Virginia Tech partnered with CSA in the Dominican Republic to provide labor for local good-works projects. we brought with us a hodgepodge of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Atheist, and Secular Humanist volunteer students ready to lend a hand. During our days we helped secure clean water, planted gardens, and renovated a local baseball field. During the nights, we gathered around in circles and held facilitated discussions about religion, race, purpose, and more.

Our days were spent helping establish gardens, access clean water, and renovate a local school's baseball field.

Me, busting out some sick dance moves on the way to lunch.

In the evenings, we gathered to discuss large topics through the lens of each of our unique experiences.

One of the things that was important for me with this volunteer trip was being sure we're actually doing the right things for a local community. (As opposed to the first-world or western idea of what "right" looks like.) Partnering with a local organization like CSA helped ensure that our work was being put to good use.

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Guest Lecturing at VA Tech
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