Hello, my name is Arden and I am an undergraduate student at UConn! I am majoring in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences and minoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. As a senior, I will be spending this year focusing on completing my Honors Thesis, which investigates the changes in speech perception after mild traumatic brain injury. After graduation, I hope to attend a master’s program for speech-language pathology. “When I grow up” I want to become a speech pathologist, and possibly work in a medical setting, helping populations who have experienced traumatic brain injuries. 

While my major falls outside of the typical realm of majors at Greenhouse Studios, so many of the skills I have learned while working here have helped me in my academic endeavors. One main thing that I focused on last year at Greenhouse Studios involved organizing grant materials. My work allowed me to get more exposure to grants, which I have never really had to work with before. I applied what I have learned to writing my own grant proposal for my Honors Thesis last spring, and I was able to receive a grant, and have my project fully funded! I hope to continue my work with grants at Greenhouse Studios in the upcoming year, as there is so much more to learn about the process of grant-writing. 

Throughout my time at Greenhouse Studios, I have worked on various projects, including Sourcery, Brand Strategies, and UConn Gives. Most of my work at Greenhouse Studios deals with the behind the scenes magic of projects, such as organizational and planning matters. One of my favorite tasks that I have worked on was the planning of the 2022 Sourcery Charrette in Boston, MA. I was able to travel to Boston with the Sourcery team to help run the charrette, and participate in discussions with team members from all over the country. It was an amazing experience to see all of the planning of the charette come together, as well as participating in such thoughtful discussions about the app. 

A fun fact about me is that I am president of UConn’s National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association (NSSLHA)! I have been a part of NSSLHA since my freshman year, and I have grown close to so many club members. Many of the organizational and administrative skills that I have learned at Greenhouse Studios have helped me in my role of Chapter President. I am so grateful for all that Greenhouse Studios has taught me, and can’t wait for another awesome year!