Briefly describe your role at Golden LEAF.
My role at Golden LEAF centers around data and helping turn that data into meaningful insights. I support both our Programs and Scholarship work by managing grants and scholarship data, ensuring our records are accurate and reliable. I also analyze that information to identify trends, support informed decision-making, and help Golden LEAF better understand and maximize the impact of our work.
Describe yourself in three words.
Organized. Analytical. Enthusiastic.
What’s your favorite part of your job and why?
My favorite part of the job is learning about all the amazing work that our scholarship recipients, past and present, are doing. Our scholars and alumni represent the next generation of rural North Carolinians, and it is truly inspiring to see all that they have already accomplished.
What is your favorite pastime outside of work?
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, cooking, being outside, and spending time with my husband and two sons.
What is your biggest work-related accomplishment within the last year?
I spearheaded an effort to migrate 15 years’ worth of scholarship records into a centralized database. Now that everything lives in one place, we are able to have more meaningful interactions with our scholars and alumni, and we have a better understanding of where our alumni are living and working. This has allowed us to more fully see the impact that our scholarship funding is having in supporting college graduates to return to rural communities across the state.
What motivates you to support long-term economic development in rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities?
I have always worked in public service and believe very strongly in using my skills and experience to serve those around me. Although I am not from a rural community, working at Golden LEAF has taught me so much about the challenges and opportunities that rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities across the state face, and has motivated me to want to continue to work in service of this mission.
Learn more about Arianna here.