Grade: Graduated

Family members: I live with my dad, Kraig, my mom, Christy, and my brothers Alex, Simon and Aaron.

Favorite subject: My favorite subject was mathematics because I enjoy finding one right answer. Each problem is like a puzzle and I like solving them.

Activities: I was president of Science National Honors Society, founding president of Mu Alpha Thera, secretary of National Honors Society and captain of the academic team. I volunteer at St. Luke’s Hospital Ambulatory Surgery Center once a week and play softball for Forks Thunder 18u Black Fastpitch. I am a Girl Scout and swam for the Freedom HS swim team.

Next steps: I plan on attending college and pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering.

Career goals: I want to earn a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering or environmental science and work as a researcher designing initiatives to combat climate change. Someday I would like to conduct research in Antarctica.

Heroes: My personal hero is Margaret Hamilton, director of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory during NASA’s Apollo missions. She wrote most of the software code that was used to launch Americans into space. I am particularly fascinated by her because her career is a real-life example of the ways math can positively contribute to society, as well as an example of all the mathematical equations yet to be formulated.

Hobbies: I enjoy painting and hanging out with my friends. I began a project where my goal is to cover every wall in my room with some form of art. Art is a way for me to relax my mind and express myself creatively.

Current job(s): I babysit my neighbor’s children a few times a week.

Volunteer/community work: I have volunteered at St. Luke’s Hospital since my sophomore year, where I have held an array of jobs. I like to volunteer in an environment where I am able to witness the great advances of science. Health care is the result of a bunch of creative people coming together and creating solutions to problems everyone faces.

Likes: I like sushi, and my four cats, Henry, Ollie, Piper and Annie. I also like true crime documentaries and Sudoku puzzles.

Dislikes: I dislike noisy libraries and how socio-economics define educational and career opportunities in the United States.

Greatest accomplishment (so far): My greatest accomplishment was the completion of my Girl Scout Gold Award. I previously earned my Bronze and Silver awards, but nothing compared to the amount of work I put into my Gold Award. For my project, I designed and built six countertop greenhouses for the third grade students at my school. Then I created a six-week science curriculum on plant biology, human nutrition and sustainable agriculture practices and taught it to the students. To support the lessons, I led every classroom in growing kale plants from seeds. Seeing the students’ curiosity surrounding science and the future of our planet was one of the most prideful moments of my life.

Advice for peers: It is okay to fail. It is okay to stress out about your studies! But it is not okay to feel like your work is purposeless or purely to make you look good on a resume. Explore all your interests to the maximum and when you finally find things you really enjoy, spend all your time refining your abilities. If what you are pursuing brings you joy and a sense of accomplishment, it will all be worth it.