On December 25, 2006 our group (my boyfriend Zach, my twin sister Melissa and her friend Jason) left Lawrenceville, NJ at 11 a.m. heading south to New Orleans with the goal of non-stop driving.

It was important for me to make this trip. When Hurricane Katrina happened, I remember thinking I needed to get down to New Orleans to help.

I've always been involved with volunteer work--I spent a summer in Kenya building a library, and also started up an artist cooperative during college.