Hello!

About me

I feel fortunate to have grown up as a military brat--my childhood was spent on bases in Virginia, California, Florida, and Japan (Okinawa and Iwakuni). Being exposed to foreign cultures and many ways of living instilled in me a deep curiosity about the world that's out there. Since entering university, I've resolved to continue exploring. 

​

Some of my exploration has been academic. I entered university as a mathematics major, but quickly switched to French and Francophone studies, which I then decided would be better suited as a minor in favor of a major in biochemistry. While focusing in on my lab classes and science lectures, I also made sure to include courses that expanded my horizons in the humanities: War and Peace, Japanese Modern Women Writers, The Christian Gospels. Then, too, classes in French to build on what I learned in high school. My French experiences culminated in a study abroad experience in Paris during summer 2022 (read more about it by clicking "Study Abroad" in the banner above). 

​

In my free time, I've enjoyed participating in improv comedy and volunteering with my service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, around Gainesville. I've also taken advantage of UF's vibrant environment to attend art lectures, book club meetings, and cultural events. 

​

Now that my time as an undergraduate is reaching its end, I plan to enter the workforce before pursuing a graduate degree in the biotechnology field. While that may seem like a lot of hard science, I've found that my international experiences at UF have played just as large a role in my future aspirations as my technical experiences: because I have seen first-hand how international collaboration creates meaningful ties while working towards a common goal, I'm inspired to join collaborators the world over in furthering gene therapy research (and wherever else my experiences lead me).