Involvement and Activities

Beyond academics, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in impactful programs, research opportunities, competitions, and leadership roles that have shaped my professional and personal journey.

Organizations

National Organizations

  • Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) – Awarded a competitive scholarship to attend and present my IoMT cybersecurity research at the 2025 WiCyS Conference
  • Rewriting the Code (RTC) – Active member of this women-in-tech community; awarded a scholarship to attend Harvard WECode for two consecutive years
  • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) – Member supporting Black excellence in engineering and technology
  • ColorStack – Active member supporting Black and Latinx students in tech

Campus Organizations

  • Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society – Honors scholar
  • Cyber Club – CTF competitor and active participant
  • Saints for Service Scholar & Global Scholar Programs – Leadership and service recognition

Leadership

  • Resident Assistant | Marymount University
    Managed a floor of 40+ residents for three years, increasing community satisfaction and resolving conflicts effectively. Awarded Best RA of the Building in 2023 for mentorship and organizing high-attendance community events.

  • Vice President | National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)
    Cofounded the chapter, initiated members, and led events to build community and leadership opportunities. Directed programming to foster professional growth and engagement among members.

  • Vice President | Virginia Collegiate Honors Council
    Led statewide honors programming, delivered conference remarks, facilitated student panels, and presented research for two years. Collaborated with the executive board and professors on marketing, funding strategy, and organizing the research conference.

  • Secretary | ACM-W (Association for Computing Machinery’s Council of Women)
    Organized gender-diversity and mentorship-focused events in tech while maintaining detailed documentation. Engaged professionals to provide networking and learning opportunities for students.

  • Secretary | Student Government Association
    Served two years—one year as a Senator, proposing and implementing changes to the financial aid package, and one year as Secretary, maintaining records, coordinating elections, managing communication, and supporting campus-wide initiatives.

Volunteer Work

  • Admin Volunteer | Culpepper Garden
    Teach computer and cybersecurity basics to elderly residents, assist with proposal writing, analyze data for reports, and design marketing materials.

  • Volunteer Customer Service Representative | New Hope Housing
    Supported visitors and residents, assisted with intake, and provided frontline community service.

  • Mentor and Tutor | Local Elementary School
    Conducted weekly 1-hour sessions with a 2nd-grade student, practicing reading and math skills to support academic growth.

Research

  • WiCyS 2025 Presenter & Competitor
    Selected as one of 25 women out of thousands to present research on Machine Learning Models for Cyber Threat Detection on IoMT at the 11th Annual WiCyS Conference.

  • Cybersecurity Researcher
    Conducted a study analyzing 200+ data breaches using Tableau and presented findings to 150 attendees at the Marymount Annual Research Conference; also selected to present at the Virginia Collegiate Honors Research Conference.

  • Generative AI Researcher
    Compared code-generation performance of ChatGPT vs. Kodezi across 30 Python functions and presented findings at the Virginia collegiate honors conference.

Hackathons and CTFs

  • National Cyber League (NCL) – Competed in hands-on cybersecurity challenges, demonstrating skills in cryptography, web security, network analysis, and forensics.

  • International Cyber League (ICL) – Reached the finalist stage in this global competition, solving complex cybersecurity problems and showcasing expertise in cutting-edge technologies.

  • Commonwealth CyberFusion Capture the Flag at Virginia Military Institute – Secured 7th place among Virginia universities while honing skills in cryptography, web exploitation, reverse engineering, wireless technology, and forensics.

  • Technica – Part of SentiShelter team, winning 1st place in Fannie Mae’s Climate Sentiment Challenge and 2nd place for Best AI-Powered Solution.

  • HackMIT – Built MedLingua, a tool simplifying clinical notes using ML and interactive visualizations.

  • Hoya Hacks – Built an AI-powered Virtual Admissions Bot using Python, LangChain, and React.

Programs

  • Amazon REACHBACK University Program – Fully Funded Participant
    Selected to participate in Amazon’s fully funded program focused on mentorship, career exploration, and professional development for emerging technologists.

  • Kohl’s Emerging Talent Summit
    Finalist in a case study competition redesigning Sephora’s recycling program using AI-powered, contactless systems, collaborating with a team of six women.

  • Technology Engineer Apprentice | National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)
    Completed a hybrid apprenticeship exploring broadcasting technology, media engineering, and AWS cloud foundations.

  • Fireside Fellows
    Selected for this fellowship to gain insights at the intersection of technology and venture capital through mentorship and industry workshops.

  • National Retail Federation Ray Greenly Scholar
    Fully funded participant in the NRF Student Program and Big Show in NYC, exploring retail technology through panels, company tours, and AI demonstrations.

Scholarships and Recognitions

  • Ray Greenly Scholar – National Retail Federation
  • 2023 Student Award of Merit – Marymount University
  • Bishop Ireton Award – Graduating Class of 2025
  • Saints for Service Scholar
  • Global Scholar Award Recipient
  • 2023 Best Resident Assistant of the Year

The Impact of These Experiences

Participating in these programs, organizations, and competitions has been transformative, helping me develop both technical expertise and leadership skills. They’ve pushed me to solve complex problems, work effectively in teams, and innovate in real-world scenarios. Each opportunity strengthened my confidence, expanded my professional network, and allowed me to make meaningful contributions to the communities and fields I’m passionate about.