About

I’m from a small town called Saint Joseph near Kansas City, Missouri. I’ve loved astronomy for as long as I can remember, and I voraciously consumed books about space as a child. My freshman year of high school was also the year of the “Great American Eclipse” in 2017. Coincidentally, the path of totality ran right through our town, and we were projected to draw in hundreds of thousands of visitors. I excitedly looked to join a local astronomy club to celebrate and experience the event with others, only to find that there wasn’t one. I decided to form my own club, and I gave informational presentations about the upcoming eclipse at my local library. The response was positive, so I decided to continue giving monthly lectures about a variety of topics surrounding space and astronomy. This experience deepened my passion for astronomy and also inspired me to continue pursuing science outreach through various channels.

Outside of school, I’m heavily involved in climate change advocacy. I run a chapter of an organization called Citizens’ Climate Lobby in my hometown. Through grassroots lobbying, outreach, and community events, we aim to increase awareness of bipartisan climate change solutions and put pressure on lawmakers to implement these concepts in legislation. Despite the divisive rhetoric created by media organizations, a majority of Americans agree that climate change is real, caused by human activity, and that congress should act on it. A majority also support funding renewable energy research, taxing fossil fuel corporations, and including climate change as part of school curricula. There’s lots to agree on, and I think it’s important to focus on these areas as much as we do the topics that divide us.

My other interests include 3d printing, cooking, playing music, and filming/video editing. I enjoy creating decorative 3d prints and custom gifts for friends and family members, but I’ve also dabbled in designing my own models for practical purposes. My mom’s food is the best in the world - I can only aspire to reach that level someday! I mainly cook Indian and Chinese food with occasional Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Italian dishes thrown in. I play jazz piano and drums, and my primary instrument in high school was the vibraphone. Over the years I’ve also made some songs on my laptop using Fruity Loops. Video editing is a way to relax and decompress for me, and I find it really satisfying to plan out, script, and film a short video, even if it’s a completely silly project. Making educational science videos throughout college has been a great way to bring together my interests and share the excitement I have for this field.