What impact has OADI had on your academic or professional experience? 
OADI has given me something incredibly powerful: community, support, and the confidence to pursue my PhD and long-term goals in healthcare innovation and research. As a first-generation student navigating spaces that often felt unfamiliar, OADI created an environment where I felt seen, supported, and encouraged not only to succeed academically, but to lead boldly and create impact beyond myself. It reminded me that access to opportunity can transform lives when students are empowered with the right support systems and community behind them. 

What has it meant to be recognized for an award and as an award recipient? 
I was deeply honored to receive this award in the name and legacy of Jerome “Brud” Holland, the first African American football player at Cornell, who worked tirelessly to create opportunities for himself and others. His story, from shoveling coal to put himself through Cornell to becoming the first Black member of the New York Stock Exchange, a U.S. Ambassador, and a university president, is a reminder that access is powerful, but what you choose to do with that access matters even more. 
This award recognizes scholarship, leadership, diversity, and community, values that have shaped my journey through research, healthcare advocacy, entrepreneurship, and service. From building Food For Thought Foundation to advocating for healthcare equity and competing in the Miss America Organization, I have always believed leadership is about opening doors for others while walking through your own. 
To me, education and scholarship is more than financial support. Scholarship is freedom: freedom to learn, freedom to lead, and freedom to build the future and impact you envision for yourself and your community. Programs and organizations that invest in students change lives. They remind us that our potential is worth believing in long before we fully see it ourselves. 
Receiving this award means so much to me because it represents being recognized not only for what I have accomplished, but for the spaces I am building for others to grow, lead, and access opportunity. 

What values guide you and inspire you? 
The values that guide me most are courage, compassion, and the willingness to be different. 
I have always believed that pressure can either break you or propel you, and throughout my life, I have chosen to let it propel me toward growth, purpose, and impact. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my life came from stepping into rooms where I was uncertain, taking risks, and believing in a vision bigger than myself. 
I am inspired by people who lead with heart, who build spaces for others, and who use their success to create opportunities for the next generation. Whether through healthcare advocacy, research, mentorship, or service, I want my work to leave people feeling more empowered, seen, and hopeful about what is possible for their futures. 

What are you most looking forward to this summer or upcoming year? 
This summer, I am incredibly excited to compete for Miss New York in the Miss America Organization. 
The Miss America Organization is rooted in scholarship, service, leadership, and empowering women to create meaningful impact within their communities. Through my community service initiative, Lead With H.E.A.R.T,: Health, Education, Access, Research, and Togetherness, I hope to continue advocating for equitable healthcare access and preventive care while encouraging young people to lead with both ambition and compassion. 
I am excited for the opportunity to grow, represent my community, and continue using my platform to inspire others to pursue their goals boldly and unapologetically. 

Tell us a fun fact about yourself! 
I recently found out that I have partial hearing loss in my left ear, something I did not know for the first 21 years of my life.  While it was surprising, it also became an important reminder of why preventive healthcare and access to care matter so much. Experiences like this reinforce my passion for health advocacy and my belief that every student and every person deserve access to quality preventive care, regardless of their background or zip code. 
It is a small story, but one that continues to shape how I think about healthcare, awareness, and the importance of listening to our bodies.