I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I attended Nicolet High School. It was during the science fair competition in high school that I first realized my interests in neuroscience and research. My positive experiences with my high school science fair have also influenced my strong current interest in participating in science outreach and education. For college, I moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where I studied biochemistry and neurobiology. In addition to completing my undergraduate degrees, I also pursued a Master’s degree in chemistry, and completed my Master’s thesis in the Rhoades lab, where I studied the effect of polyphosphate on the conformation of tau using FRET. Over the next five years, I hope to research molecular mechanisms for neurodevelopment. I also have a strong interest in the application of super-resolution microscopy to neuroscience. Outside of the lab, I enjoy creative writing, kayaking, and learning tango.