What started as a personal project in 2017 has turned into Atomica: Seventh Species, a full-fledged strategy game that recently became available for purchase.  The recursive process of designing, playtesting, and implementing changes went on for five years before I was comfortable even thinking about publishing.  When I decided to graduate from cardboard cut-outs to professional-grade prototypes, I had to teach myself graphic design and really nail down a concise set of rules.  When it came time to publish, I had to research trademark and copyright practices, design a website, and hire an attorney to protect my IP.  After years of development and an official release, my job is far from over—I still advertise, seek out new customers, update the game's website and social accounts, and work on a possible Second Edition!  Not to mention related projects like expansions and online editions, or new games that cater to different audiences.  Game development combines many of my skills and interests, and I'm proud of what my "hobby" has become!

When I learned that my boss at Axe Habits wanted to start an axe throwing league, I jumped at the opportunity to utilize my event organization skills.  Having coordinated several leagues already (see below), I was a good fit for the role.  I organized several seasonal leagues in my time there and laid the foundation for future league events, which are ongoing to this day.  On top of my existing duties as an Axe Coach, I recruited league members, moderated communication channels, directed league and tournament play, and earned my certification as an official Judge with the World Axe Throwing League.  I'm happy to have contributed early in the league's life cycle, and to have worked with such a passionate team.

At Swarthmore, ninety percent of the student body lives in on-campus dorms.  The largest of those dorms is Willets Hall, where I was an RA my junior year.  Willets has a substantial freshman population and is the most socially active dorm on campus, meaning the RAs have their work cut out for them.  The entire first semester is spent introducing the freshman class to the quirks of the small liberal arts college, supporting their social and academic needs.  On top of this, RAs are responsible for organizing small-scale hall events and large-scale campus events hosted by the dorm.  Both of these roles required frequent communication with administration, either to secure event spaces or to act as liaison on behalf of the residents, and constant attention to dorm activity and safety.  Working as an RA deepened my appreciation for event management and strengthened my customer service and organizational skills.

My Junior year at Swarthmore was also my third year as a member of the men's club Ultimate Frisbee team.  With a successful year as a Social Coordinator under my belt (see below), I opted to expand my role on the team and run for Captain.  I, along with my two co-Captains, was responsible for leading and coaching teammates, outlining drills for several practices every week, working with the Club Sports administrators to secure field time, and communicating with tournament directors on behalf of the team.  In addition to being a Captain, I extended my tenure from the previous year as the team's Sponsorship Liaison;  I reached out to athletic gear vendors on behalf of the team, providing designs for new uniforms and negotiating discounts for various items.  This responsibility to design the team's new uniform catalyzed my interest in graphic design.

At the end of my freshman year, I was appointed as one of four Ultimate Frisbee Social Coordinators for the 2018-2019 school year.  With three cohorts who would quickly become some of my best friends, we spent countless hours throughout the year planning social events for the seventy-plus players on the men's and women's teams.  We were only expected to plan six major events during our time as SoCos, but our team's ambition and creative chemistry couldn't be stopped: we ended up planning seven large-scale events (now a standard for SoCos) and more than ten small-scale events during the year, much to the excitement of our teammates.  The planning of themes and activities served an an excellent creative outlet, but the job was not without its challenges: proper fundraising, budgeting, coordination with administration, advertising, and securing of permits were all required for a successful social event.  

During my time as a SoCo, I also worked with the Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance (PADA) as a co-organizer of their Winter League.  A teammate and I worked with a PADA representative by recruiting local college teams to a co-ed indoor Ultimate league.  Aside from drastically improving my Frisbee skills, co-organizing the PADA league provided me with my first non-collegiate event coordination experience.  My time with PADA informed my roles as a SoCo, a Captain, and eventually as a League Coordinator for Axe Habits.  These sophomore year experiences taught me teamwork strategies, organizational and budgeting skills, and effective communication techniques that I utilize to this day.

SwatTank, Swarthmore's version of Shark Tank, is an innovation competition hosted by the Center for Innovation and Leadership (CIL).  By late 2019, my board game Atomica had been in development for almost three years, and I was interested in securing school funding for the project.  I was pointed to the CIL, whose enthusiastic staff implored me to enter the competition.  The program paired me with a mentor, who introduced me to several aspects of the business world and essential business resources.  Though I was technically required to list a partner (a close friend and frequent playtester), I completed my entire pitch, business model, and company outline as the only one-person team in the competition.  Atomica made it to the finals, and I used my prize money to develop the first professional-grade prototypes.  I'm proud to say that of the three finalists, my product is the only one still in production.

I became a member of the Social Science Honor Society (SSHS) in the first month of my freshman year at the recommendation of my would-be mentors, Mrs. Farkas and Mr. Hayduk.  A primary focus of SSHS was training Palmetto's three teams (two Varsity, one Junior Varsity) for National History Bowl tournaments.  By the end of my freshman year, I had recruited enough students to form two more JV teams; by the end of my time as Vice President of Competitions in my senior year, Palmetto was sending more than ten JV and Varsity History Bowl teams to each competition.  The energetic recruiting efforts of myself and club President Matt Barocas—combined with the support and fundraising infrastructure put in place by Mrs. Farkas and Mr. Hayduk—helped SSHS grow into one of Palmetto's largest and most successful extracurricular programs.

I also joined Palmetto Badminton during my freshman year, where I learned the basics of the sport.  By the end of my sophomore season, I had climbed the ranks of Men's Singles and qualified for a spot at the Greater Miami Athletic Conference (GMAC), which I qualified for a second time as a junior.  I was appointed as the Men's Team Captain during my senior year, and in my first season as a Men's Doubles player my partner and I won the GMAC Championship.  For this achievement, my partner and I were named All-County First Team.  Later that year I won the Sunshine State Games Collegiate Singles championship for the second consecutive summer.