Ashley Burns-Merrill

District Operational Lead

• Reviewed customer feedback to make operational improvements and promote satisfaction.
• Interviewed and hired staff that aligned with company brand standards and team.
• Mitigated business risks by working closely with staff members and assessing performance daily.
• Assessed the operational efficiency of the store's departments, as well as on a district level.
• Displayed a clear understanding of color theory, the science of hair, and overall beauty standards to assist in customer satisfaction and team education/training.
• Oversaw storewide merchandising benchmarks to maintain operational excellence in compliance with the company's KPI goals.
• Attended weekly meetings to discuss strategies that enhanced results at a store and district level.

• Working with middle schoolers through virtual art class.
• Hosted morning meetings to discuss daily agendas, demonstrations, and key vocabulary.
• Providing digital skills and websites to enhance engagement and learning.

Company Overview: Transitional Aged Youth-Breakthrough Collaborative

• Worked closely with child service groups all around the U.S., looking at and educating each other on ways to uplift youth in foster care.
• Spoke with other youth across the continent to gather information on how social workers can do better and implement it.
• Attended virtual meetings to discuss learnings and uptain feedback.

• Working with other students to improve life on campus.
• The council was designed to engage a diverse set of student insights and experiences to help guide the campus policies, programming, and climate.
• The DOSAC provided the Dean of Students and staff members of the Division of Student Life with diverse insights into the student experience at Hampshire, as well as offer feedback on student priorities, and act as a sounding board for new ideas and strategic initiatives.
• Attended and transcribed meetings with students on a weekly basis.

• Hosted an afterschool arts program where we taught children art almost every Wednesday.
• Created the program Wild Crafternoons, where we then hosted fundraisers to support the cost of art supplies.
• Focused on play-based art, encouraging the children to create at their own capacity and explore new materials and techniques.
• Designed surveys for students seeking feedback on their experience with the program offerings.

• Morning routines and snack-time overview.
• Oversaw playtime, reading, and fine motor skills through one-on-one interactions and group work.
• Focus on health and safety when outside with children, and look at developmental stages to better enhance learning and play for all.
• Experience with all age levels in the center (infant to pre-K).

• Morning routine assistance, calendar review, breakfast, math review, reading/letters, and science/outdoor activities.
• One on one learning with siblings who had serious developmental delays.
• Curated engaging curriculum and daily routines to foster independence and understanding of daily responsibilities.
• I took the children to museums, events in town, and farms to engage with local culture.

• Assisted in delivering and teaching curriculum for art courses at the elementary level.
• Oversaw classroom budgets and maintained inventory of materials.
• I took attendance, focused on classroom engagement, and attended to college-age students when necessary.
• I graded work and gave constructive feedback on projects and teaching philosophies.
• Led late-night practice groups focusing on improving classroom management and student participation for college-aged students.
• Learned fundamental aspects of being an art teacher by observing a professor.

Summer Farm Hand and Farm Stand Manager.

• Prepared soil for planting, employing tillage, and fertilization techniques.
• Managed irrigation systems to ensure adequate water distribution.
• Performed general maintenance tasks around the farm, including greenhouse maintenance and tending to the farm stand.
• Picked, prepared, and delivered produce orders to local restaurants and stores.
• Planted, maintained, harvested, and packaged produce (lettuce, beets, tomatoes, herbs, flowers, potatoes, etc.).
• Organized and maintained proper pricing for the farm stand/produce stand, and operated the POS system, handling cash and card transactions with customers daily.

Sous Chef and Snack Shack Manager (summer season only).

• Showcased exceptional time management through completing orders on time and efficiently.
• Studied recipes to enhance performance and create unique menu items for the snack shack.
• Trained staff to take orders and process them through the service window in a time-efficient manner.
• Communicated with front servers to conduct an efficient workflow and steady service.
• Place frequently used ingredients in proper storage containers that are dated, and place perishable items in the refrigerator immediately after use.
• Exercised portion control for items served, eliminating waste.
• Ensured a sanitary work environment through frequent dishwashing and surface cleaning.

• Greeted customers and took orders to send to the kitchen staff.
• Answered the phone to take orders on a small scale, as well as at the catering level.
• Rung out orders through the POS system efficiently.
• Maintained a clean environment by cleaning tables, floors, and the kitchen regularly.
• Operated the dishwasher frequently in order to have a steady flow of clean utensils and serving dishes.
• Conducted inventory control and food audits to establish proper food safety habits.
• Catered for events with the deli owner, cooking and reheating food as needed, and serving it to guests.