Meredith Arndt is a born-and-raised Virginia Beach resident. She began her civic leadership journey through a high school internship with the World Affairs Council and as the first place winner for Norfolk NATO Festival's Model NATO Challenge. From there, Meredith went on to receive a degree in International Relations from the College of William and Mary, where she focused on Italian Studies and international humanitarianism. She took a year off from W&M and studied and worked in Rome, spending time as a student at Roma Tre University and working in the local Roman community. She served as a grants writer for anti-transnational crime non-profit Libera Contro Le Mafie, a policy intern with Centro Studi Internazionali, and an international staff member for Model United Nations association United Network EU. A purveyor of arts and culture, Meredith also worked on the style team for her school's internationally-acclaimed fashion magazine, Rocket. After graduating in the pandemic and coming home to Hampton Roads, today, Meredith now serves as the Annual Fund Manager for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the Development Chair for WAC, and is the co-founder of the NATO Youth Summit Alumni Association with her Canadian and Italian counterparts. In her free time, Meredith works as a fashion stylist, enjoys investigating the Hampton Roads foodie scene, and spends time taking her labrador-beagle mix, Goose, to the beach.