About Me
I’ve pursued a career adventure through fellowships, and I now help others do the same.
The Experiences that Led to My Current Work
I’ve been able to attend my dream schools, land my dream job, and achieve a meaningful social impact career through application preparedness and the art of storytelling. Professional and academic fellowships have provided me the funding, skills, and unique experiences I needed to achieve my career goals. It’s now my life’s mission to help others do the same.
As a child, I grew up in a row house in Wilmington, Delaware and attended local public schools. My siblings and I were raised by my loving parents, a nurse and a Lutheran minister, who taught us the value of education, hard work, and community service. I knew from an early age that I would pursue a career in public service and I was driven academically. Through listening to my father’s inspirational sermons, I learned the art of storytelling and used this skill to apply to opportunities considered to be “out of reach” by my advisors.
I first experienced academic gatekeeping when it was time to apply to college. My high school guidance counselor discouraged me from applying to Ivy League universities because of my 1250 SAT score and class rank. I experienced gatekeeping again during my senior year of college when a professor discouraged me from applying to The New York City Urban Fellows program because of my B-average GPA. However, I was able to prepare applications that earned my acceptance to these competitive opportunities. At this early stage in my life, I knew that I had a knack for preparing an exceptional application and I used these skills to pursue and win 3 additional fellowships that advanced my career in public health policy: the German Chancellor Fellowship, the Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship and a Fulbright Award to New Zealand. I also landed my dream job with the Obama Administration at the age of 30, serving as Policy Director of the National Commission on Children and Disasters.
Throughout my life, I’ve experienced naysayers at nearly every turn because I set lofty goals and pursued a non-traditional career path. Many believe the past is what defines your future, like your undergraduate grades and SAT scores. However, I’ve learned that the key to success is detailed preparation. It’s important to develop a strong, personal narrative about your goals that helps selection committees envision the “future you” and the positive impact you will make in your career.
I’ve used the art of storytelling to earn my MSc in Public Health and my PhD with full funding, a $250,000 funding package that allowed me to earn my PhD without any student debt. The experience of achieving full funding was eye-opening to me. Previously I was unaware of funding sources for graduate study. I felt a determination to make information on fellowships and full funding awards more accessible to people of all demographic and academic backgrounds.
In 2011, while I was a PhD student, I founded ProFellow.com, which has grown to become the world’s leading online resource for fellowships and fully funded graduate programs. We’ve helped millions of fellowship seekers and prospective graduate students find fellowships and funding opportunities to pursue their career goals. We have worked with hundreds of esteemed fellowship organizations and universities to promote their opportunities and attract incredible fellows and students.
Throughout the years I’ve given public talks and workshops for fellowship and graduate school applicants. As the popularity of these workshops grew, I launched in 2019 the Fully Funded Course and Mentorship Program, a private group coaching program for graduate school applicants. This program has helped hundreds of applicants achieve entrance to top PhD and Master’s programs and more than $20 million in university funding awards and fellowships. Most of my students are BIPOC, first-generation college graduates, and nontraditional applicants.
I have found my life’s purpose in directing ProFellow. I receive hundreds of emails every year from people all over the world who have benefited from ProFellow and our many free resources and connections. These success stories, particularly those from people who have overcome hardship and discrimination, drive me to do more.