Education and Career
In 2017, I received my Bachelors degree in Earth Science at Rice University.
Throughout my time at Rice, I was pre-med, hoping to one day specialize in space medicine. I grew up helping care for my grandmother and accompanying her at doctor’s appointments, which is when I developed an interest in medicine as a way to help people. My dreams of becoming an astronaut began when I met Dr. Leroy Chiao, retired NASA astronaut, my first year of college.
I received my first emergency medical technician (EMT) license in 2014, after which I began volunteering for Rice Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to respond to campus emergencies. I also taught CPR and first aid classes to the community, helped teach EMTs in training, and helped staff university special events.
My first research experience was at the Baylor College of Medicine, where I worked as a research assistant in the Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab for 1.5 years. This is where I learned that research allows us to answer questions and solve problems that can improve the quality of life for many people. Intrigued by this and still dreaming of NASA, I applied to and was selected for the NASA Student Airborne Research Program in 2016.
As an independent researcher in the NASA Student Airborne Research Program I worked on a project studying the impacts of wildfire emissions on climate. Here, I saw the value in Earth science for helping people on a larger scale than what I believed I could accomplish with medicine. I began envisioning a career for myself in Earth science research.
Immediately after graduating in 2017, I worked as an independent consultant in the NASA DEVELOP National Program studying how wildfires in the southwestern U.S. affected air quality in Texas. After that, I went back to Rice to work as a research assistant in the Masiello Lab in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, where I worked on projects in soil science and synthetic microbiology to understand the effects of wildfire on soil properties and microbial communities.
In 2023, I completed my PhD in Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine. Although I now see myself remaining earthbound for the near future, the desire to understand the unknown that drove me to try and become an astronaut now motivates me to keep learning about our planet and share this knowledge with other people. Now, I am an Air Pollution Specialist at the California Air Resources Board, applying my expertise in environmental science and policy and passion for outreach to address issues in air quality for California’s communities.
Fun fact: My graduation photo is my university president (left), me (center) and Dr. Mae Jemison (right), a chemical engineer and physician who became the first African American woman in space in 1992! Meeting Dr. Jemison in 2017 is still one of the greatest experiences of my life and a constant motivator to continue my pursuit of knowledge in service to others.
Extracurricular Interests
I love being outside! Hiking, camping, running, swimming, doing research…I think my favorite place to be is the beach or the desert.
I also love live music, exploring the cities around me, and seeing new places and I really enjoy spending time with my family, friends and pets.
