I was born in Richmond, Virginia, and loved to play outside in the creek near our house. My parents were constantly sending me back to the creek to return the minnows, tadpoles, salamanders, crayfish, etc. that I would bring home. Little did I know then that my affinity for nature would lead into a rewarding career as a wildlife conservationist and educator.

After earning my B.S. in Fish and Wildlife Sciences from Virginia Tech in 2011, I attended Old Dominion University for my M.S., where I studied the relationship between birds, ticks, and urbanization. I had the privilege of working hands-on with wild birds every week and also enjoyed working with students in the classroom. During the last year of my Masters degree, I received the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program award. Knowing how much I loved Virginia Tech, I returned to the mountains to study a federally-threatened shorebird called the red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) for my Ph.D. During that time, I became very invested in diversity and inclusion initiatives and pedagogical practices and completed the Future Professoriate Certificate through the graduate school. I believe that education should be equitable and accessible to all and that learning is a two-way street, where I learn from my students, and my students (hopefully) also learn from me!