B.A. Chemistry, 2021, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 

Hailing from Bellingham, Washington, (and a whole lot of other places) I made the 30-hour trek to Iowa in August to pursue my Ph.D. in Chemistry with a research focus in Chemistry Education. There were many journeys before that one, including two deployments as an airman to Japan and one to Qatar. The largest and most difficult journey, however, was high school. I struggled in classrooms made for neurotypical kids, ultimately inspiring me to pursue an education-specific track in my favorite subject of all: chemistry. It’s imperative to build a more science-understanding generation, and I hope to contribute to making classrooms a more suitable space for everyone to learn. Apart from my studies, I enjoy hanging out with my dog, playing video games, and reading philosophy books.