It’s September 2023.
Just over 12 years ago to this day I traveled to Rwanda on a Learning Trip as a 15 year old student. While there, I spent a lot of time at a youth-led farming community — Something there ignited a spark in me.
That spark wasn’t just about growing plants and nourishing people’s basic needs, it was about youth empowerment to build community and create social change...
That spark wasn’t just about growing plants and nourishing people’s basic needs, it was about youth empowerment to build community and create social change within a difficult landscape both physically and socially. As a youth who felt disempowered in many life arenas at home, this experience assured me that I could make positive impact for myself and for the world I share.
Taking what I had learned in Rwanda the previous year and my experiences as a young person in rural America, I contributed policy recommendations for girls rights hand-in-hand with sustainable development at the
2012 United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
Both of these experiences showcased the overwhelming power of people, intra-ecosystem collaboration, and how we are stronger together.
Both of these experiences showcased the overwhelming power of people, intra-ecosystem collaboration, and how we are stronger together. They also lead to a life committed to community, asking questions, listening, then informed action with impact.
In 2013, I graduated high school with a two-year college degree, then continued my education at The Evergreen State College. I learned on the slopes of the Olympic mountains and abroad in Peru and Nepal, then in 2016 I graduated with dual Bachelors degrees in
Economic Botany and Montane Ecology.
I have developed myself into
a project manager, independent researcher, and public educator. I invest deeply in my community by cultivating native plants, volunteering with local farms, and organizing people to help plants to change the world. My actions and devotion have made me a leader in my community and field before the typically qualifying steps of advanced degrees and letters.
My leadership
has been recognized by my 2020 acceptance into the Homeward Bound Project.
I realize now that those days in Rwanda were the beginning of my understanding that plants can change the world.
I realize now that those days in Rwanda were the beginning of my understanding that plants can change the world. After years of dedication to local initiatives it is time for me to increase my scale of impact and continue my personal learning journey on the world stage. It's time to launch south to new heights.
An investment in me is an investment in our shared future.
If you would like to support my mission to research, learn, and collaborate for global good in the Antarctic, I invite you to contribute on Venmo or GoFundMe using the links below.
