BIO

Ava is a Dean’s List student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a 3.8 GPA, double majoring in Journalism and Strategic Communication with a minor in Sports Communication.

 

A lifelong musician, she has been playing the guitar, singing, songwriting, and performing for over 13 years.

 

Ava is in her fourth year as a Best Buddy to her friend Elizabeth, who has Down syndrome. After learning that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are three times more likely to be bullied, Ava created Choose to Include, an anti-bullying initiative promoting kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. She has presented the program in local elementary schools and created a signature bandana students wear on their backpacks as a reminder to lead with compassion.

 

For five years, Ava served on PACER’s National Youth Advisory Board, one of only eight students selected nationwide. In this role, she helped create Unity Day programming, served as a voting member for the Unity Awards, and captained teams for PACER’s Run, Walk, Roll Against Bullying.

 

A soon-to-be senior, Ava works as a live student sports reporter for the Big Ten+ Network and interns with a local ABC affiliate television station.

 

She is active in her sorority, serving as Electronic Communications Director, and played a lead role in UW–Madison’s largest fundraiser, Humorology, which raises over $500,000 annually. She is also an active member of UW–Madison Best Buddies and the Association for Women in Sports Media.

 

In 2022, Ava placed as first runner-up for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Student of the Year competition after raising $85,772 for blood cancer research in just seven weeks, earning a $50,000 research grant.

 

An avid traveler who has visited over 40 countries, Ava once accidentally swam with sharks in the Bahamas! In her spare time, she enjoys watching old James Bond movies, doing puzzles, and is an avid downhill skier.