April 19, 2018
What are you currently doing, professionally and/or personally?
I am currently in my third year at Vanderbilt University, studying Earth & Environmental Science. This past November through January, I was fortunate enough to participate in the United States Antarctic Program. The purpose of our project was to collect ice core from a body of ancient glacial ice that is preserved under a layer of till. Now, I am San Francisco on the first part of a study abroad program looking at the politics of climate change–specifically food, water, and energy. Over the course of my semester with SIT we will be traveling to Vietnam, Morocco, and Bolivia. I am very fortunate.
How did you get there? Are there some career moves or other key experiences or relationships that have inspired you?
I arrived upon these experiences by being open to all possibilities. I introduced myself to (and applied and got rejected from) a variety of researchers, and was never afraid to fail.
How did your MPA experience prepare you for your life today? How did MPA help you dream big and do right?
MPA helped me to feel comfortable in my own skin, allowing me to stretch for things that seem out of reach. At MPA I learned how to ask strong questions and how to relate to and love my fellow human beings. I discovered my love of singing and science at Mounds Park. It is truly wild to think back to what life was like just three short years ago. MPA allowed me to experiment with a variety of fields, and that variety is what I revel in today.
What’s next?
I’m considering pursuing a PhD in one of the following: glaciology, geomorphology, remote sensing, or maybe environmental policy/management. I hope to make a significant positive impact on humanity’s relationship with the environment.
This story is part of a new series called The Year of 100 Stories, launched by the Mounds Park Academy Alumni Association in January 2018. All alumni are warmly invited to tell their story! Email alumni@moundsparkacademy.org for more information.
