Articles

10 Things I Learned About Holding Complexity in 2020
Thrive Global, December 2020

Excerpt: In a world of bite-sized graphics and instantaneous consumption, especially in a year I personally spent so much time in front of a screen, I turned to conversations, podcasts, and long-form stories in books for some of the more nuanced experiences that are not always reflected online. In every instance I learned from the person on the other side of the couch, end of the phone, or story on the page.

Five Talking Points When You’re Asked Why Refugee Resettlement Matters
Medium, September 2020

Excerpt: “Often, the most effective way to understand the journey of refugees and the ways in which they positively impact U.S. communities is through their stories. And the best way to hear stories is to meet people and develop real relationships with them. But if we zoom out a bit and look at the data, the case for refugees is still very clear and for the sake of brevity, it can be summed up into five main talking points.”

What Adults Obsessed with Achievement Can Learn from Becoming Beginners Again
Thrive Global, August 2020

Excerpt: “In a society like the U.S., we are driven by success and achievement. We are a society of “getting it right,” and “constant improvement.” Many of us, myself included, are swept up in the ideals of perfectionism. . .Overtime, we become more and more specialized and fear deviating from “our lane.” We become unfamiliar with what it’s like to be a beginner, what it’s like to be really bad at something, and lose touch with the curiosity and joy we had in creating as children.”

Pittsburgh: Impact of COVID-19 on Youth and Our Response
SWSG Blog, May 2020

Excerpt: SWSG’s programs are based on positive youth development principles that promote social-emotional learning. Two decades of research shows that social-emotional learning about skills like conflict resolution and self-awareness results in higher academic achievement, fewer conduct problems, positive social behavior, and less emotional distress (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2017). It is more important than ever that young girls have access to these programs when they are distanced from their peers and other trusted adults outside of the home.

What’s a Christian Doing in a Jewish Program?
Huffington Post, December 2017

Excerpt: “The first question folks ask when they find out I am Christian is: why would you want to be a part of a religious organization that differs from your own faith? I think one moment in particular encapsulates the main reason, as a person of faith, I choose to surround myself with people of a different one.”

What I Learned about Mindfulness in my Introductory Economics Course
Huffington Post, April 2017

Excerpt: “The fact is, we have to choose one thing over another every day. When we do this, we are giving up on some other way we could have spent our time, our energy, or our money. This is called an opportunity cost and it is the reason there’s no free lunch.”

Let’s Stop Calling it a Gap Year
Huffington Post, May 2017

Excerpt: “Taking a year to do something you’re passionate about, outside of whatever our culture has determined is the correct educational and career trajectory is not a break. . .From my perspective, I wasn’t hitting pause on my career or my aspirations. I was taking very intentional steps towards figuring out what I wanted for myself: steps that I see the fruit of now.”