As an eight-year-old, I wrote a newsletter warning my neighbors that pollution was ripping a hole in the ozone layer. I never distributed the newsletter, but I still wanted to educate others about environmental problems; I just needed to find a better way.

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In high school, I fell hard for the world of atoms when I realized that unlocking the secret code of chemistry explained everything around me. I later studied how pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter harm air quality, merging my passions for chemistry and environmental issues and earning my Ph.D.

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In Australia years later, I patrolled beaches to count nesting sea turtles. When I wrote a travel magazine article about how poaching and other threats hurt these creatures, I realized I had finally found a better way to share science.

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In 2017, I started the science communication program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I sharpened my storytelling tools in class and at various writing and multimedia internships.

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I hope to spread the marvel of science and environmental stewardship with my new skills.

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