Page 13 - Tennessee Teen Volunteer Judge's Book 2022

What can you do during your Tenure of Service as a Titleholder to impact your community?
During my Tenure of Services as a Titleholder I would continue to impact my community through volunteering. I have signed up to participate in the PEER Tutoring program at my high school. I plan to continue to volunteer with my local Alzheimer’s of Sevier County chapter, volunteer with the food banks for 2nd harvest, and continue my work with Fantasy of Trees through Children’s hospital. One of my primary goals is to grow awareness of my personal platform, Paws N Service.
What has been your involvement with your platform?
I have spent this year developing a platform near to my heart and establishing our family breeding program. We are expecting our 2nd round of puppies starting around June 25 through July 14. These will be the first litters that I will help identify an individual to donate a puppy to be placed in service. This spring we were able to place of one our puppies, Spot with a local Knox County trauma specialist. This puppy is still in the training program, with hopes of when he graduates, he will visit children throughout the school system who have experiences with emotional and physical trauma and assist them in the healing process through therapy.
What inspired you to first become involved in your platform?
My family and I started breeding golden doodles and poodles after getting a golden doodle for my brother Austin. Austin has always had difficulty communicating and relating to people, which is how he is affected by his Asperger’s. Through working with the trainers for Lucy, Austin’s ability to communicate improved from the very first session. He began to understand responsibility for caring for others. Through our breeding program we aspire to donate a doodle or poodle to those who would not be able to afford them on their own.
If you are selected as the winner, how would you mobilize and market your platform nationally?
I plan to mobilize and market my platform through the use of social media. I have been exploring different social media platforms. So far, we have a business website, Facebook page, and Instagram page that I am going to be assisting in managing. We have placed some of our puppies already in Maryland, North Carolina, Louisiana, Virginia, and across the state of Tennessee. I plan on using those connections to assist in locating families in need.
How would you utilize social media in order to positively further your position as a titleholder if you are selected as the winner?
I would continue to develop my social presence to spread awareness of the benefits of service animals. I plan to request permission to share successful personal stories from current service animal owners. I would like to learn from their personal experiences of how I can simplify the adoption process. Eventually I would like to have a nonprofit established to assist with the ongoing costs of training the animals.