Nettie joins the Equity Center as an AmeriCorps VISTA, bringing a unique blend of engineering expertise and social justice advocacy. A 2022 UVA graduate with a B.S. in Engineering Science and History minor, Nettie's work bridges technical knowledge with community empowerment. At UVA, she served as an Undergraduate Research Fellow at the Environmental Institute and the Convergent Behavioral Science, and founded STRIVE (Students and Teachers Revolutionizing Inclusivity Values in Engineering) to create more anti-racist curriculum and support equity-focused research. She also co-created an educational program with other student groups that presented UVA's history accurately to first-years. 

Following graduation, Nettie embraced a Teaching Fellowship, instructing 9th-grade physics, coaching our robotics team, and advising eight 9th grade girls. Upon learning that one of the schools in her hometown of Lynchburg might be subject to closure, Nettie began organizing the community and together mobilized over 3,000 members opposed to closing schools and successfully advocated for a $3.7 million increase in school district funding which led the school board to rescind their vote to close the schools in June.

The past few months Nettie has been a long-term substitute at T. C. Miller, first in Kindergarten and then in Special Education. Nettie is excited to join the Community Research team and be a part of The Equity Center community!