FLAGSHIP PROJECT

Why Storytelling?

Burnout, disconnection, and the daily grind can leave even the most passionate professionals feeling untethered from their purpose. That’s what led me to design the Story Slam Challenge—a course that helps people reconnect with their stories in a way that brings clarity, confidence, and renewed energy.

This project began during my time at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU SOM), where I was brought on to create learning experiences that directly addressed physician burnout. The goal? To support institutional values like strengthening the physician-patient relationship and improving healthcare outcomes. Storytelling became a powerful way to humanize medical education and foster empathy, reflection, and presence.

Flagship Project: Story Slam Challenge

Why This Is My Flagship Project

• Translated in-person workshops into a scalable, asynchronous format—without losing the personal touch.
• Built around the 8 elements of modern learning: accessible, autonomous, chunked, experiential, hyperlinked, multimedia, personalized, and social.
• Collaborated with medical education experts while serving as an SME in narrative learning and reflective writing.
• Used the LLAMA (Lot Like Agile Management Approach) framework for an iterative, collaborative process.

What I’m Most Proud Of

This course does more than teach storytelling—it helps people feel seen, heard, and empowered. At SIU SOM, it helped future physicians reconnect with purpose and empathy. Beyond medicine, it's helped people get into schools, ace interviews, and move forward with clarity.

How It Was Built

I used the LLAMA framework to guide an agile, collaborative design process—balancing stakeholder feedback with learner needs. At its core, this project supported SIU SOM's goal to reduce burnout and foster relationship-centered care, all while making space for joy, awe, and creative reflection.