Organ donation has touched nearly every corner of my life, through moments of hope, heartbreak, and profound gratitude. My community service initiative, Give the Gift, was developed from these experiences and from a lifelong passion to educate and encourage others to become organ and tissue donors.

My paternal grandfather passed away while waiting for a transplant, showing me how critical donor registration truly is. Yet I have also seen the lifesaving power of donation: my young cousin, an HLH survivor, received a bone marrow transplant and is now a thriving three-year-old. My mentor Michele McDonald, 1971’s Miss USA, courageously faced the challenges of a double lung transplant before passing from rejection, and most recently, my maternal grandfather became a tissue donor, giving the ultimate gift of healing to others. Each of these experiences has deepened my commitment to advocacy and strengthened my belief that education is the key to saving lives.

Today, I am proud to serve as the Executive Administrative Coordinator with the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), one of the nation’s leading organ procurement organizations. Through my professional work, I help support initiatives that honor donors, comfort grieving families, and expand public understanding of organ and tissue donation. As a partner of Donate Life Pennsylvania, I bring that same dedication into my community through Give the Gift, hosting educational programs, speaking at schools and community events, and encouraging donor registration across the state.

In addition to my work with CORE, I serve on the board of Mission of Mercy Pittsburgh, which provides free medical, dental, and vision care to underserved individuals. This experience has strengthened my belief that access to care, whether through medicine or donation, should never be out of reach for anyone.

My goal is to replicate and expand the impact of my professional role with CORE through my involvement in the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation. By combining my initiative with the visibility and purpose of the pageant, I hope not only to increase donor registrations but also to bring greater awareness to the Miss America Opportunity itself, a program that empowers young women to serve, lead, and make lasting change.

When we choose to “Give the Gift,” we do more than save lives; we inspire hope, foster connection, and remind others that compassion can truly change the world. Through Give the Gift and the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Foundation, I am committed to continuing that mission, one community, one conversation, one registration, and one life at a time.