Outreach Projects

Through reflective conversations with domestic violence survivors, I came to recognize the intricate complexities of their identities—an amalgam of resilience, endurance, and depth that transcends trauma.

 

This understanding gave rise to Project Reverie, a philanthropic endeavor comprising twelve portraits, each capturing the distinct experiences of survivors of gender-based violence. Crafted through extensive interviews and confirmation processes with each subject, the portraits seek to honor survivors’ lived experiences with authenticity and depth. This calendar series is not only a tribute to the humanity and strength embedded in each survivor’s journey but also a means to support initiatives dedicated to combatting gender-based violence.

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Project Reverie thus serves as a testament to the notion that survivors are not defined by the adversity they have faced but by the resilience they embody and the lives they continue to build. For those interested, videos illustrating the creation process of the calendar are available upon request. The calendar was available for purchase, with all proceeds directed to Atria Collective—an organization committed to empowering women and eradicating gender-based violence.

As the Editor-in-Chief of The F-word, Milton Academy’s feminist magazine, I initiated a project in 2023 to support Rosie’s Place, one of Massachusetts’ most venerable women’s shelters. This initiative represented both a collaborative effort and a personal endeavor to channel the magazine's voice into concrete action. Together, our team developed a collection of handcrafted items—sweatshirts, candles, blankets, and tote bags—each piece curated to embody messages of resilience, strength, and solidarity.

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I oversaw the conceptual and artistic direction for one of our signature items, a sweatshirt titled “Heavy Women,” designed to honor the complex strength that women so often embody. The title, “Heavy Women,” was chosen to reflect the depth and layered experiences women navigate, transforming what is often invisible labor and resilience into a visible tribute. My vision was to capture the breadth of the feminist experience and pay homage to the enduring strength of women who carry both societal and personal burdens.

 

This initiative extended beyond artistic creation, serving as both an awareness campaign and a means of advocacy, with proceeds directed to support the essential services at Rosie’s Place. Through this endeavor, we aimed to not only generate financial support but also to underscore a message of solidarity and empowerment for the women served by Rosie’s Place.

Art Beyond Borders began as a personal endeavor, motivated by a desire to share my passion for art with a small group of Haitian refugee children. Since its inception, it has evolved into New England’s foremost nonprofit art education initiative, now serving over 80 immigrant children from a diverse array of cultural and national backgrounds. Supported by a team of 20 dedicated Milton Academy art enthusiasts—each committed to fostering creativity and self-expression—Art Beyond Borders has developed a reputation for its rigorous, high-quality, and consistent approach to arts education.

 

Our commitment was recognized with the 2024 “Best Community Service” award from the New England Parents’ Independent School Network (PIN), an accolade that reflects our dedication to creating meaningful impact. With a mentor-to-student ratio of 1:4—the highest on the East Coast—our program ensures that each young artist receives the individualized attention necessary for meaningful artistic and personal growth. As the founder and program coordinator, I am gratified by the transformative potential of this initiative, an experience that resonates deeply among all involved.

 

In the classrooms we have created, distinctions of race, gender, and socioeconomic background dissolve, replaced by a community free of judgment and rich in support. Here, art transcends its traditional role as a medium of expression to become a powerful vehicle for empathy, resilience, and self-discovery. Our partnership with the Immigrant Family Services Institute—a nonprofit in Mattapan known for its commitment to underserved immigrant communities—has further expanded our impact. Together, we have cultivated a sanctuary where art transcends boundaries.

Upon learning of the severe shortages faced by women in Gaza—struggling with limited access to essential food, clean water, and basic hygiene supplies, including menstruation products—we felt a moral imperative to take action. As the Club Head of Art with a Conscience, I led our team in crafting a solution that was both meaningful and accessible: a tote bag. This everyday item was inexpensive to produce yet held the potential for high returns, allowing us to generate significant funds for Doctors Without Borders.

 

I designed the tote with a distinctive image of dancing skeletons—a design that resonated across Milton Academy, earning me the informal title of “the girl who drew the dancing skeletons.” This unique visual identity helped the project flourish and brought attention to our cause in an impactful way.

 

To date, we have raised and donated over $3,000 to Doctors Without Borders, and we are now producing our third batch of totes for sale. This project has been rewarding, knowing that our efforts contribute directly to providing essential sanitary products for women in Gaza.

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Milton Academy’s collaborative portrait honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stands as a homage to his enduring legacy of equality, justice, and the transformative power of collective action. Spearheaded by Art with a Social Conscience, our campus’s leading art organization, this project invited every member of the Milton community to contribute to the work, empowering each individual to add a unique brushstroke to the portrait. This act of collective creation not only fostered a sense of unity but also underscored the significance of each person’s role in advancing Dr. King’s vision of a truly equitable and inclusive society.

 

The completed artwork, now displayed in Milton’s art gallery, is a vivid testament to shared commitment and communal responsibility. Each brushstroke represents a personal pledge to uphold the principles Dr. King championed, reminding us that progress toward justice is built on the efforts of many. This collaborative portrait serves as an ongoing reflection of our community’s dedication to fostering a society where unity and inclusion form the foundation of justice and equality. The project embodies the belief that while individual contributions may seem small in isolation, together they create a profound, enduring impact.

In a dedicated effort to support LGBTQ+ communities both within our campus and beyond, Art with a Social Science has partnered with an LGBTQ+ activist organization, Gender and Sexuality Perspective, on a fundraising initiative. Together, we have created a sweatshirt designed to raise funds for LGBTQ+ programs across the Boston area. The design features an astronaut in mid-stride, drawing inspiration from Neil Armstrong’s words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This image was chosen to represent the journey toward inclusivity—a small gesture symbolizing a much larger aspiration.

 

Though simple in form, the sweatshirt is intended as a symbol of hope for a future in which love, identity, and personal expression are honored rather than judged. Through this initiative, we hope to contribute to a world where acceptance and inclusivity flourish, and where every individual’s authentic self is met with respect and understanding.

My current project, Felicity’s Metamorphoses Illustrated: A Picture Book for Latin Beginners, represents an endeavor to expand access to Latin for children from historically underserved backgrounds. This work is crafted to democratize Latin by providing complimentary digital and print editions. Each page reflects a deliberate synthesis of linguistic pedagogy and visual art, constructed to engage young learners in the foundational elements of Latin, thereby affording them an early encounter with this timeless linguistic heritage.

 

The inspiration for this project emerged from my interactions with refugee children through Art Beyond Borders, an initiative I founded to provide art education for underserved communities. In these weekly sessions, I encountered a striking curiosity about Latin—a curiosity tempered by apprehensions about the accessibility of resources and sustained support. Observing this intellectual enthusiasm amidst structural constraints compelled me to design an educational resource that could empower these young minds. Felicity’s Metamorphoses Illustrated aspires to be a gateway into the classical world, fostering a connection to Latin that transcends socioeconomic barriers. Through this project, I seek to cultivate in these students a sense of agency and intellectual confidence, nurturing an enduring appreciation for the linguistic and cultural legacies of antiquity. [Access the online version here.]

As President of Felicity’s Service Foundation (FSF), a charitable organization I founded to support underserved children worldwide, I have had the opportunity to organize a variety of initiatives over the years. One of the most meaningful projects was the design, production, and distribution of over a thousand handmade masks, which we sent to School on Wheels at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although privacy limitations meant we couldn’t share images of the children who received our masks, seeing photos of them holding the masks and reading their thank-you notes was truly humbling.

 

I also hold dear the memories of my team carefully packing each mask, reflecting a spirit of hope and solidarity in a time of uncertainty. This experience—of working together to create something useful for others—is one that I will always treasure. It reminded me of the strength of collective kindness and how even small actions can make a meaningful difference.