Why I Am Running for the Board of Directors

Serving on the Board of Directors for Sister Cities International would allow me to continue my passion for citizen diplomacy, complimenting my experience in international relations and business, and continue my commitment in nonprofit leadership to a mission I have deeply believed in since an early age. I have seen firsthand the impact citizen diplomacy can have in building global relationships, which continue to shape my life, as well as the lives of others to this day. As a board member, I would focus on the strategic development and broadening of SCI’s goal in emphasizing people-to-people diplomacy, ensuring it continues to thrive in our ever-changing and unprecedented global landscape, especially the one we are facing today as we enter into a series of unprecedented global challenges that can only be mitigated by grassroots diplomacy.

Bio

My journey with Sister Cities International started almost exactly a decade ago, in 2015. That year in high school, I decided to show up to a meeting of my local chapter of Fountain Hills Sister Cities, which would forever change my life. The team in the Fountain Hills branch gave me the resources and support to help start the first exchanges with our sister city of Zamość, Poland, continue to grow our relationship with our sister city of Dierdorf, Germany, and provide crucial humanitarian support to our sister city of Ataco, El Salvador. The myriads of student exchanges, trips, and volunteer work culminated in a visit to Sister Cities’ Youth Leadership Summit in Houston in 2019 where I had the opportunity to present after a talk held by President George W. Bush, and a successful internship with the U.S. Department of State, supporting the U.S. Embassy personnel in Warsaw, Poland during the fall and winter of 2021-2022. Thanks to Sister Cities International, my efforts to harbor international understanding were pleasantly rewarded with amazing memories and lasting relationships that I keep to this day.