About me

“Whether we are based on carbon or on silicon makes no fundamental difference; we should each be treated with appropriate respect.” - Arthur C. Clarke

For most of my life, I was very uninterested in technology. I never imagined that I would grow such a huge interest in computers and programming.

However, in the summer of 2017, I had the honor of visiting NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. As soon as I set foot on the campus of JPL, I was instantly reminded of my childhood – thinking about the stars, looking through telescopes at our Solar System, and learning about the robots, rockets, and computers that I could use to someday travel the stars.

Now, a bit older (and my sights more focused on the ground), I focus on developing the other side of my childhood interest - life. My interests have changed over the years - from medicine, to forensic anthropology, to computational biology - but my curiosity has always centered around life. In the summer of 2017, I participated in a Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates program at the University of Southern California. I joined seven other community college students at the Center for Dark Energy Biospheres Investigations in characterizing a bacteria whose primary energy source was the oxidation of iron. Not only did I get to work with an organism whose existence was marvelous, but I also got the opportunity to work in the field of Bioinformatics to understand more about its unique metabolism.

I met a group of amazing people, each of whom has a brilliant future ahead. I also met my dream school. As it turns out, USC imprinted on me, and my goal quickly changed to be a part of this amazing institution.

The following summer, I joined a large cohort of students at Cornell University. The Plant Genomes Research Program at the Boyce Thompson Institute offered me the opportunity to work with scientists developing means of improving crops. I worked with members of the Fei Bioinformatics Lab, and worked to develop a pangenome for a relative of the Heinz tomato. Ultimately, my hard work translated to my winning the annual poster competition (starts at 34:10).

I never imagined that my life would have been so enriched by these people and through these experiences. Moreover, only my wildest hopes would translate to where I am today - a rising Junior transfer student, majoring in Quantitative Biology, and at one of the best universities in the country. I plan to continue and earn my Ph.D, and I hope to give back to the scientific community a better understanding of our world and its residents.