Ashley has always maintained a strong passion for public service and education. After being named the recipient for the Dr. Marcus F. Wheatland award for community service and The Aaron and Rita Slom Scholarship Fund For Freedom and Diversity, Ashley was inspired to incorporate other aspects of community engagement in her home of Newport, RI as well as in parts of Central America and in her live/work communities in Washington D.C. and Brooklyn, NY.

As a student in high school & college, Ashley taught American Sign Language to classes of 20 elementary-age children. In these classes, she integrated music and movement to motivate students with songs and to prepare the students to perform in school events.

As a teacher’s assistant in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Ashley taught English to middle and high school-aged students, offered assistance in their first language and provided students with culturally relevant materials to encourage them to communicate in English with fellow classmates. While in Central America, Ashley spent a month participating in building homes in La Carpio, Costa Rica and organized children’s recreational activities at a local elementary school.

Today, Ashley continues to devote her free time to assist various organizations including the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society and the RI chapter of Black Lives Matter. Presently, she remains engaged in her Crown Heights Community of Brooklyn and is an advocate for voter registration, housing equality, social justice, and environmental sustainability.