KEY QUALIFICATIONS

§   Business development consultant, original communicator, community outreach advisor, and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV)

§   Seeking to focus on economic development, community outreach, and strategic communications

§   Utilize my MBA and business consulting skills in environments that support corporations around their organizational mission and development projects

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

United States Peace Corps, Mafeteng, Lesotho (southern Africa)

English, Life Skills, and Business Teacher                                                                                              October 2012 – November 2014

§ Assigned to a rural village in Lesotho to teach English and Life Skills to primary school children. Actively expanded scope of work to include business and basic financial management. Solicited resources to build village’s first public library.

§ Led a team of 13 teachers and 423 students to improve access to potable water for school. Wrote, secured, and awarded $2,000 USD grant. Included 9 women and 210 children in community-owned jewelry project to generate domestic and international sales for water pump project.

§ Established a community-based incubator for women entrepreneurs to share expertise and experience in building sustainable businesses for manufacturing and exporting local handicrafts. The incubator launched 5 women-owned businesses.

§ Developed an expertise working with women and youth in entrepreneurship, education, and empowerment.

§ Unlocked power of entrepreneurship by fostering buy-in and ownership among my 423 students and 13 teachers to sustain our community-led jewelry project.

§ Drafted a communications strategy with students and teachers entailing a business plan, marketing materials, a Facebook page, and a Gmail account to disseminate international communications about the project.

§ Generated over $1,100 in revenue from jewelry project (Year 1 sales: $770 USD; Year 2 sales: $330 USD).

§ Managed, monitored, evaluated, and budgeted said grant; reported quarterly financials to Peace Corps liaisons in Lesotho and Washington, D.C.  

§ Project recognized in 2015 by Former President Barack Obama, Former First Lady Michelle Obama, The White House, and Peace Corps through educational initiative Let Girls Learn.

§ Selected in 2016 to publish blog about project for partnership between jewelers Alex and Ani, Peace Corps, and Let Girls Learn.

 

The Virginian-Pilot, Virginia Beach, Virginia

General Assignment Reporter                                                                                                                          June 2010 – September 2012

§ Covered general assignment, planning commission, human services, public safety, diversity, military, and homelessness for The Pilot’s Virginia Beach bureau.

§ Initiated various forms of content management and engagement for the newspaper’s print and web audiences.

§ Wrote featured story about a homeless elderly couple who lived in their car for three weeks. Article generated over $3,500 in reader donations to couple.

§ Researched and contributed to daily print and digital coverage for the seven cities in South Hampton Roads.

§ Developed stories about homelessness and poverty to promote action among government officials.

§ Led a move for greater editorial and print space for under-resourced communities of color that were normally shut out by media which led to more trust and coverage of those communities.

 

The Carroll County Times, Westminster, Maryland

South Carroll and Diversity Reporter                                                                                                                          July 2008 – June 2010

§ Covered City Council and General Assignment: Broke news about former Mt. Airy Mayor Dave Pyatt’s resignation.

§ Gave readers local lens into Haiti earthquake through 7 unique stories about Carroll County residents who survived and others who had organizations impacted by quake.

§ Created diversity beat and wrote insightful stories about African Americans and Hispanic residents.

§ Wrote stories about personal finance, small business, and consumer affairs.

§ Shot and edited audio and video clips for the paper’s website to supplement print coverage.

 

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Panera Bread, Williamsburg/Herndon, Virginia

Associate Trainer/Delivery Driver                                                                                                                               August 2016 - present

§ Ensure outstanding customer service in fast-paced environment; demonstrate exceptional interpersonal and team-building skills, build rapport, and resolve issues.

§ Manage, oversee, and train new restaurant associates on company policy, procedure, and protocol in dining room and back of house operations.

§ Attended evening business courses simultaneously while balancing part-time restaurant responsibilities.

 

EDUCATION
The College of William and Mary, Raymond A. Mason School of Business, Williamsburg, Virginia                                         

Master of Business Administration                                                                                                                                                   May, 2018

§ Received William & Mary’s inaugural Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellowship to study business at the college. 

§ Earned an MBA in General Management, with concentration in Social Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship.

§ Taught three student-led courses on building successful entrepreneurs in the developing world, sustainability, and empowering women and marginalized people through education and entrepreneurship.

§ Wrote thesis on how to start a socially conscious jewelry business using domestic and international resources.

 

Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia                                                                                                                                                      
B
achelor of Arts, Print Journalism                                                                                                                                                     May, 2007

§ Founded online campus newspaper in 2007 to expand publications editorial presence.

§ Managed a staff of 15 reporters and editors and helped with the design and layout of the paper.

§ Broke news story and scooped local news outlets about a fatal campus killing.

§ Worked as a Business Editorial Intern and a summer Landmark Scholar for local newspaper, The Virginian-Pilot.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Awards & Certifications:

      §   Second place business award and second place public service award from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association, 2010.

      §   Third place best ongoing/extended daily coverage from Landmark Community Newspapers Inc., 2009.

      §   Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certification from TEFL Institute in Chicago, IL.

Community Service:

§   Serve as board member of HealthWorks, a new nonprofit that administers medical supplies in West African countries.

§   Provide ongoing consulting services to Tsoaing Primary School continuing economic development projects in Lesotho.

Leadership:

§   Served for one year as co-chair of the Peace Corps/Lesotho Diversity Committee in 2014.

§   Editor of Norfolk State University’s campus newspaper, The Spartan Echo, from 2005-2007.

Languages:

§   Fluent in Sesotho, spoken in Lesotho and southern Africa.

§   Fluent in American Sign Language.