My Work as a Graduate Student
This portfolio showcases my academic journey and growth as a graduate student, highlighting projects, presentations, and experiences that have shaped my professional perspective. From event strategy to creative problem-solving, each piece reflects my passion for planning, learning, and bringing people together through meaningful work
Leadership Reflection Journal
As part of my graduate coursework in Strategic Communication, this leadership journal allowed me to reflect on my personal purpose, professional motivations, and the deeper impact of event planning on both communities and individual lives. Through this project, I explored how my values, connection, creativity, and meaningful experiences all shape my leadership style and drive my passion for curating events that truly matter.
Leadership Reflection: Empathy in Entertainment
As part of our exploration of empathy in leadership, this assignment challenged us to reflect on empathy through either a real-life experience or a piece of entertainment. I chose to analyze the television show Baskets — combining class concepts with one of my personal passions: TV and film. Through this reflection, I examined how Baskets illustrates cognitive and emotional empathy through its storytelling and characters. This project also helped me recognize that empathy is one of my greatest leadership strengths, and a quality I continue to build on in both my personal and professional life.
Ethical Event Strategy: Inoculating Against Resistance
In this assignment, I explored how ethical decision-making plays a critical role in event planning. By applying communication and persuasion theories, I examined how event professionals can anticipate challenges and thoughtfully navigate resistance from attendees, stakeholders, and collaborators. This project allowed me to blend class concepts with my real-world experience, highlighting how strategy, empathy, and ethical intention work together to create events that are engaging, inclusive, and impactful.
Team Chemistry & Communication in Event Planning
This project explores how team chemistry and clear communication strategies are essential to the success of any event. Drawing from course material and real-world experience, I examined how different working styles and a strong communication plan can elevate collaboration, reduce last-minute stress, and create a more cohesive planning process. As someone who thrives in fast-paced environments, this assignment allowed me to reflect on the importance of understanding team dynamics — and how the right mix of personalities and planning tools can turn challenges into opportunities for creativity and growth.
Research Project: Strategic Silence in Crisis Communication
This project explored the role of strategic silence in celebrity crisis communication, specifically how the timing and method of silence can influence public perception. Through a mixed-methods approach — combining survey research and a focus group, we analyzed the effectiveness of silence as a response strategy during high-profile reputational crises.
As someone passionate about media, public relations, and storytelling, I enjoyed merging my academic research skills with real-world case studies in entertainment. This project deepened my understanding of how communication (or lack thereof) can be used intentionally to shape narratives, build trust, and manage public image.
Communication Strategy Brief
In this project, I developed a strategic communication plan to enhance engagement for the University of Michigan’s Conference and Event Services (CES) department. Drawing from my experience in event planning, I conducted a full communications audit and proposed a multi-platform strategy that included social media improvements, newsletter redesign, and student-centered outreach initiatives.
This assignment was a perfect opportunity to combine classroom strategy work with my real-world passion for events — identifying ways CES could better highlight the incredible variety of events they host while increasing visibility, audience engagement, and bookings through targeted communication.