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Research 

Past and Current Projects
League of Women Voters and
Democracy Commitment Internship 

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The League of Women Voters is a volunteer organization that has fought since 1920 to improve our government and engage all citizens in the decisions that impact our lives.  The League is nonpartisan and league volunteers operate at national, state and local levels through more than 800 state and local Leagues, in all 50 states as well in DC, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Hong Kong.  

 

The Democracy Commitment (TDC) is a national initiative providing a platform for the development and expansion of community college programs, projects and curricula aiming at engaging students in civic learning and democratic practice across the country.

 

I have always been actively engaged with community outreach and policy as a constituent, but being an intern for the League of Women Voters in Alachua County helped me take that passion to the next level by helping me continue to become informed about many more types of issues at the state level. The experience was more than I could have imagined. We studied both the legislative process extensively and the current bills in session. As interns, we met with our local representatives, such as Representative Keith Perry and Representative Clovis Watson in our districts and at the capital to discuss how they were going to support issues such as healthcare and education for Floridians. We also saw firsthand how the League of Women Voters worked diligently to inform members and non-members about the impacts of policy in all levels of government, especially the local level. Furthermore, I met with League members from around the state and found out how their diverse backgrounds influenced their engagement in the league. Working closely with the League of Women Voters made me appreciate the hard work of a non-profit organization and the incredible value of this one of a kind experience. I hope to take what I have learned at the League and share it with students at both the secondary and post-secondary level so that they too understand that they can make a difference.

 

 
 
 
Florida Model European Union 
 
 
​I collaborated with the University of Florida's Center for European Studies (CES) with funding from the Getting to Know Europe grant provided by the European Union to develop and found an original debate conference—Florida Model European Union. The Florida Model European Union is the first Model EU event in Florida's history for secondary and post-secondary students. The goal of the Model EU is to give students the opportunity to learn about the European Union through a dynamic simulation. Students spend a day at the University of Florida engaged in intense negotiations over conflicting visions of the EU and its future. The project is popular among students from diverse backgrounds and studies spanning from Law, International Relations, Political Science and European Affairs to History, Media Studies, and even Interpreting.
 
It is our hope to increase awareness of how the European states collaborate, the importance of the European Union, and introduce current issues affecting this region of the world to students and our community as a whole. I have been working diligently on developing the conference in all capacities with a team from both Santa Fe College and UF. My duties focused on  logistics, event planning, budget, promotion, website design, research, leadership, problem solving and team building events.
 
 
<<< For more information you can visit the website I created for this event. 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Research in Undergraduate Education (RUE) 2014 Research and Creative Scholarly Projects Festival - Humanities

 

In order to understand Shintoism, the native religion of Japan, the Shichi-Go-San ceremony depicts a popular example of a children’s coming-of-age ceremony. The title of the ceremony is the direct Japanese translation for seven-five-three. This rite of passage has been practiced annually in Japan since the 8th century. Findings from this creative research project emphasize that a child’s achievement of reaching middle childhood is a significant milestone. In some regions of Asia, age is an essential part of society because it represents seniority. During the ceremony, the Shinto priest offers special prayers and purifies the child in honor of their life from this point onwards. My project conveys the importance of the ceremony specifically for male children. It will consist of a two-piece traditional handmade kimono (robe) and hakama (skirt), which male children wear for the first time during the ceremony after they turn five years old. The ceremonial robe will illustrate traditional Shinto symbols that represent the parent’s wishes for their child’s health and prosperous future. The main image on the back of the robe will be a depiction of the Meoto Iwa Rocks, the location of a sacred Shinto shrine. One of the fundamental virtues of the Shinto religion is that of purity in the mind and heart. This ceremony represents the introduction of children to a religion that pervades Japanese life through culture, ethics, family, and national structure.

 

1. Childhood Ceremonies in Japan: Regional and Local Variations http://www.jstor.org/stable/37727262.

2. The Essence of Shinto: Japan’s Spiritual Heart http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxyprod.sfcollege.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c2f6a5d7-38a2-451d-9be4-621b133c2c2a%40sessionmgr4003&vid=2&hid=42113.

3. The Integration of Religious Traditions in Japanese Children’s View of Death and Afterlife http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.ezproxyprod.sfcollege.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f3903b74-361d-4a91-986c-745561e6e8b2%40sessionmgr4004&vid=2&hid=4211

North American Model United Nations (NAMUN) 

 

Febrary 2014 - Toronto, Canada 

World Health Organization - Singapore  

Southern Regional
Model United Nations
(SRMUN)

 

​​April 2013 - Charlotte, North Carolina 
UNESCO Pakistan Delegation - Honorable Mention
 
 
October 2013 - Atlanta, Georgia 
Group of 77 Belize Delegation - Outstanding Delegate and Honorable Mention 
 

 

 

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