Sometimes, when your interests vary widely, finding a balance between them all is overwhelming. So why not incorporate them all into my career? I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying Communication Arts and Environmental Studies with a certificate in Digital Studies. 

I am a creative. From writing to storytelling to photography to design, creating is a part of who I am. Creating got me through the darkest of times and has been a part of some of my greatest joys. 

I grew up like most kids, playing sports and running around the house with my siblings. I also spent my free time scrapbooking, painting, and creating in any way I knew how. I loved it. Piles of coloring books covered the floors of my bedroom, layers of paint permanently stained my clothes, and my little point-and-shoot camera never left my wrist. I also loved writing. I found solace in it. I kept journals upon journals and filled little notebooks with poems and short stories. 

I used to be a shy kid. But, as I grew older, I realized I actually loved communicating. Having good conversations with people is one of my favorite pastimes. Over the years, I developed an affinity with building rapport with people on personal and professional levels. Through classes, I have had the opportunity to delve deeper into the realm of communication, with writing at the forefront. I wrote scientific papers, rhetorical critiques, creative stories, screenplays, and took part in debates. This constant exchange of ideas and knowledge with people has been incredibly rewarding. It provided me with the opportunity to explore communication through all kinds of different lenses. My favorite? Digital storytelling. 

Traveling is an enormous part of my life. I grew up traveling around the world with my family for extended periods of time. It is exhilarating, eye-opening, troubling, scary, and wonderful all at the same time. It’s easy to stick to tourist attractions or all-inclusive hotels when traveling, but it’s not the way I like to do it. I make it a priority to chat with the locals, get their recommendations, spend the day with them. Essentially, I like to fully immerse myself in a culture and fully experience it. It helps that I love languages and I tend to be good at them. Languages are not so different from each other. All that is necessary is respect and openness. Traveling and living in foreign places does not seem as daunting when communication transforms into respect.  

I am an environmentalist. I found my passion for environmental causes through my travels. Through traveling, I noticed the different reasons for environmental protection and my awareness of sustainable development and sustainable practices grew. I love the outdoors. The outdoors has given me a place where I can find peace, solace, creative rejuvenation, and feel truly grounded. How can I call myself an “outdoorsy person” if I fail to protect the very place I find comfort in? I want my work to showcase the beauty of the environment and encourage people to care for it and respect it.