Projects

Design Thinking Project

As a native New Yorker, I am passionate about increasing Biola’s presence on the east coast. In this project, I used the IDEO Design Thinking Process to create the East Coast Eagles, a hypothetical team at Biola with the purpose of increasing marketing and awareness of Biola in that sector of the country. This presentation greatly enhanced my critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as my confidence in my creative capabilities.

(transcript provided in speaker notes)

Strategic Management - Amazon

In this course, four teammates and I researched Amazon for 15 weeks, performing a situational and SWOT analysis, to brainstorm programmatic recommendations, give a 55-minute-long presentation, and defend our research in a 25-minute Q & A session with a business panel. This course developed my presentation skills, research skills, oral communication skills, and enhanced my ability to work cohesively and effectively in a team.

These skills are practical and translate directly into a workplace setting, and I am better prepared for the “real-world” because of it.

Brand You Presentation

My Brand You Presentation highlights who I am, my unique selling proposition, my logo, my tagline, my trigger terms, benefits I bring to the table, a self-SWOT Analysis, my brand management, my board of directors, my core values, and my brand promise. This presentation required deep personal reflection and pushed me outside of my comfort zone. However, it was highly beneficial in helping me discover my strengths and core values, as well as what I have to offer to employers.

(transcript provided in speaker notes)

Global Business Project - South Korea

In Global Business Environment, I was tasked with an “international venture capital” research project, in which I assume the role of an intern and conduct research for a potentially new business investment in another country. I chose to do Drive-In Movie Theaters in South Korea.

Although the project went well, it was difficult to do in the accelerated 6-week summer course. If I could do this project again I would spend more time researching the specific tax acts in play, as well as foreign investment zones. This would provide more practical information as to how to successfully bring drive-in movie theaters to South Korea.

Women In Leadership - Confidence

Confidence is key. Everyone wants to be confident, and confidence and competence have linked themselves to success. In this presentation, the difference in confidence levels between men and women, confidence statistics, the importance of confidence, and ways to build confidence (as recommended by experts in this arena) are addressed.

One thing that could have been done differently would be to conduct face-to-face interviews with female professors and female students around campus to gauge how different women view confidence, as well as if confidence increases with age and more “real-life” experiences. This was difficult due to COVID and lack of time, but this is a suggestion for future research.

Capstone - Capital Group Veterans Connect

Three classmates and I had the privilege of partnering with a sponsor from Capital Group who is involved with Capital Group Veterans Connect. For 15 weeks, we were tasked with answering the question: How can Capital Group better recruit and retain veterans at their firm, and enhance their veteran’s initiative? Thorough research was performed, and 3 final recommendations were brainstormed.

There were several great takeaways and lessons learned from this project. If I had to do this project again, I would start with clearer communication and expectations with my sponsor, as I learned that constant communication is best. I would also spend more time learning about Capital Group’s company culture and perform a deeper internal analysis.

Zebrafish Research

During my time as a biology pre-med major, I was able to do zebrafish research under Dr. Lee of the biology department. Throughout the semester, countless of hours were spent in the lab researching the effect of varying alcohol concentrations on zebrafish embryos. Within this, I did a small individual project on the husbandry of zebrafish. I chose this project because I did not have research experience in the science field at the time and it was something I had been hoping to gain.

I have never been more challenged in my life. My time management, collaboration, problem-solving, communication, and critical thinking skills were all developed and enhanced. I believe all of these attributes will help me in the field of management or law.

If I could do this project over again, I would spend more time researching background information on zebrafish in order to have a better understanding of what was going on. Furthermore, I was the youngest student in the research group and I allowed myself to get intimidated more than I should have. Overall, though, this was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Biochemistry Enzyme Purification Lab Report

As a chemistry minor, one of my required courses is Biochemistry Lab. In the second half of the semester, we performed a 5-week continual procedure on the purification process of enzyme alkaline phosphatase. This lab report includes purification methods performed in the lab such as centrifugation, heat denaturation, precipitation, and ion-exchange chromatography. Enzyme kinetics (Vmax and Km) were determined and discussed as well.

A career path I am interested in pursuing is medical malpractice law. Learning not only to understand scientific terminology and writing, but putting together a detailed lab report first-hand, allowed me to enhance my written communication skills and scientific knowledge.

If I had to do this lab report over again, I would spend more time doing independent research on enzyme purification and enzyme kinetics. Although this is a specific example, it was a great learning experience for me in the broader sense of working on a deep level with unfamiliar concepts and terminology, as well as improving my ability to learn and research complex topics on my own to put together a cohesive and professional report.

The Voyage Cover

In 2017, I was able to sing a cover of the Voyage by Bethel and Amanda Cook with my classmates Caden on piano and Josh on sound. The three of us decided to record this song in a studio over the summer, and it became a mini project! Listen to the song on SoundCloud here:

Valedictorian Speech

I was fortunate enough to attend Loudonville Christian School in Loudonville, NY from first grade all the way through to my senior year graduation.I was humbled & honored to have the privilege of writing a valedictorian speech to deliver at graduation. In this speech, I reminisce on childhood memories as well as explain the importance of being content, but never satisfied. Watch my speech here: