The 1828 Project is one of our signature programs at IndyHub and each year it’s full of incredible leaders between the ages of 18 and 28. Allie is a part of 1828’s Class VIII. We sent her some questions and she responded. Keep reading to learn more about Allie!
What do you do 9-5?
I work on Keep Indianapolis Beautiful’s Community Engagement efforts. Some of my days are spent in the office coordinating neighborhood cleanups and our engagement programs, while others are spent out in the field, driving a Bobcat, while working side-by-side with community members on their new GreenSpace. Each day is so different, but that’s what I love the most about it!
Where are you originally from?
Rochester, MI
What made you head south and lay your roots here in Indianapolis?
My senior year of high school, I googled “colleges in Indianapolis” and on a whim, applied to the University of Indianapolis– the rest is history! But really, growing up outside of Detroit, I was always interested in large cities. My sister was a competitive gymnast and every year my family would come down to Indy for one of her meets. I always loved seeing the new things Indy had going on year after year and when it came time to look for schools, I went for the first thing that popped up in my results and ended up falling even more in love with the city.
It’s the weekend. What are your plans and/or favorite things to do when not at work?
I love spending time outdoors– have it be in my yard, hiking, biking or hanging out on a lake somewhere. I spend a lot of my free time volunteering with local animal welfare organizations doing outreach work or fostering from shelters. There’s also nothing better than spending the weekend checking out Indy’s breweries and distilleries!
When thinking about the future of our city, what are you looking forward to the most and why?
I have loved watching Indy evolve over the past six years that I’ve lived here– from the changes and development brought by the Super Bowl, to the incoming rapid transit lines, and everything in between! Indy is so neat in part because it is a big city, but there are still so many opportunities for growth available. I would love to see Indy continue to attract even more young, innovative leaders year after year to experience these awesome changes.
Quick- you can only eat at one local spot for the rest of your life. Where ya going and what’s your go-to item on the menu?
Tough question, but nothing beats a Thunderbird Hot Chicken Sandwich with a side of Mac & Cheese and an ice cold East Side.
What’s a local Indy cause that is near and dear to your heart and how might people go about learning more or getting involved?
Keep Indianapolis Beautiful– not only because it’s where I work, but because it was the very first organization I volunteered with when I moved to Indy. It’s an organization that truly cares about helping not only our environment, but our neighbors too. We always have something for people to do!
What book has impacted you the most to date?
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho.
Any trips you’ve taken recently that were awesome?
Last fall, I went to New Orleans for my second Next City Vanguard Conference! Not only did I get to meet and reconnect with all of the new Vanguards and alumni, but New Orleans is one of my favorite cities and I was grateful to experience it in this deeper, more meaningful way.
