Meet Ally, she is energetic, kind, eager to help others, full of joy and kindness. We have absolutely loved getting to know her and are excited to share a bit more about her with you!
Where are you from?
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
What is your favorite Coffee Drink?
oh my goodness honestly this is such a tough choice for me. I think a hot brown sugar, cinnamon, and maple latte with oat milk and/or maple and vanilla cappuccino with oat milk
LO- YUM!
What do you LOVE about Midland or Bay City?
Obviously, I love Live Oak. It is a place where I can be myself and feel comfortable expressing myself. One thing that may not be known about me as that I have lived in both Midland and Bay City. While, I have lived in Mount Pleasant all of my life with my Mom, I have moved to numerous different cities in Michigan with my Dad. Two of these cities have been Midland and Bay City. It is for this reason that these two towns have a special place in my heart. I went trick-or-treating, had a girl scout sleepover in the Midland Center of the Arts, and adopted my cat Rusty while in Midland. I also ate a local restaurant called (I believe) Jonny Rockets. It was like an old fashioned diner. It was my favorite place to eat with my Dad. Primarily, what I loved about Midland was the community. It had so much art. it made me feel welcomed. My Dad moved me and my step Mom to Bay City to be closer to both of their jobs. Bay City always meant a lot to me because that is where two sets of my grandparents live, it is where my parents first met (they were high school sweethearts), and it is the place where my half sister Andi was born. I love Bay City because it connects me with my mom and dad’s side of the family which is often not connected.
LO- wow, I love all the history you have in both communities!
How do you hope to make Midland a better community?
One thing I would like to do to make Midland a better community is find ways to give back to the community without hurting structures that are already in place. Something I have learned from my experiences being involved in the Alternative Breaks program at CMU is to work together with the community not against it. Sometimes there are things that we THINK the community will benefit from, but in reality this may actual harm the community. An example I often think about is regarding those experiencing homelessness. Often, we donate our clothes to homeless shelters. This is a wonderful thing to do and should not be discouraged. However, there are other, potentially more beneficial ways to help those experiencing homelessness. When volunteering at the Cincinnati homeless coalition, it was brought to my attention that non-profit administrations/coalitions needed more volunteers to help organize the shelter, sort mail, and clean the shelter. Things which are often forgotten but are essential to running the shelter. I want to find a way to give back to midland in a way that is beneficial for the community and does not harm systems already in place. Hopefully that makes sense lol
LO- it makes perfect sense and it is full of wisdom!
What is an embarrassing moment you can laugh at?
One of the embarrassing moments at LO is when I was in a rush to get a drink out to the drive thru. It was a iced latte. As I fast walked to the door, opened the window, a huge gust of wind came. It knocked the lid off the cup and smacked me right in the face in front of the costumer. I didn’t know what to do so i was like “hahaha” really awkwardly. Then said “that happens ha ha”. closed the door and got a new lid. Nothing super embarrassing but it makes me laugh hard now.
LO- oh man!
What is your favorite thing about Live Oak?
The people. The people is what makes me excited to come to work everyday. They make my day complete
LO- <3
What is your favorite quote, saying or scripture?
perfectly imperfect
>
“perfectly imperfect”
What do you do for fun?
I really like to read. I also love to draw/paint but I do not do that as much.
What are you passionate about & what are some of your dreams?
I am extremely passionate about social justice issues and body positivity. one of my dreams is to make a strong change in how women are perceived in media. Women are often made to feel imperfect or ‘not enough’ through comparison via social media. i want to get my doctorate in counseling psychology to make changes in media literacy and media in general so younger generations can not experience the current mental health obstacles regarding media exposure.
What is your favorite Charity and why?
I have a couple. I really like the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) as I am extremely passionate about ending the stigma towards those struggling with an eating disorder/ body imagery. Furthermore, I love Feeding America. my passion for food insecurity has grown tremendously through my involvement in Alpha Gamma Delta, Alternative Breaks, the creation of the student food pantry on campus, and my personal experiences with food insecurity in the past.
LO- Ally thank you for sharing with us! We love your passion and heart to serve others. You are awesome and we are so lucky to know you!
Recent Comments