Biology, Environmental Science, & Anthropology
I have witnessed an earthquake while SCUBA diving!
I was born and grew up in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. My life experiences on a small island, always being near the ocean, have shaped me into the person I am today and has helped me to find my passion for the environment. I was surrounded by wildlife, marine and terrestrial, that I could observe and learn from. This is the root of my passion for saving what we have left of our world. Coral disease is decimating many of the beautiful reefs that I have grown up with and major hurricanes bring catastrophic destruction. Because of dire situations like these, I want to use my time at Duke to learn how I can personally contribute to our efforts as a whole to preserve our animals and their habitats.
I have experience in coral restoration, conducting coral sample collecting, fragmenting, cultivation, and out-planting with a team called Coral World Ocean and Reef Initiative. I was also fortunate enough to participate in sea turtle monitoring with the National Park Service, staying up all night and recording data on turtles coming up to nest on the beach! I attended every beach (and underwater) clean up I could in order to help keep trash out of our oceans. I served in roles of student leadership to use my voice for climate awareness and was a NOAA Ocean Guardian Youth Ambassador.
I have always been interested in STEM, given that I see the field as a way to learn more about beloved natural environments and processes as well as how to best help them. My curiosity is piqued in classes like Biology, Evolutionary Anthropology, and Environmental Science. I am also very interested in ecology, fascinated by the coral reef and mangrove ecosystems, as well as genetics and heredity.
I am an avid movie watcher with my favorite director being Wes Anderson. I enjoy spending time in nature and with my family, SCUBA diving, underwater photography (I love showing off my turtle shots!) and kayaking. I also love reading, listening to music, and thrifting sustainable new outfits!
I like that SPIRE is a strong community of dedicated, inspiring people who each have unique stories and astounding achievements. I love being surrounded by others who mirror and encourage my enthusiasm for STEM, and who I can rely on to provide advice and bolster me (and for me to do the same for them!). This is all in addition to the outstanding mentors who guide and support all of us in our journeys!
