I've always been fascinated by the complex connections between the environment and human health. When I was a zoo docent, I attended educational seminars and live animal handling training while keeping up to date with published, peer-reviewed environmental science information. Some of my presentation topics included recycling, composting, backyard conservation, the preservation of threatened and endangered species, organic vs. conventional agricultural practices, pollination, sustainable seafood, medicinal properties of rainforest plants, emerging research on the surprising medicinal properties of amphibian skin secretions, and the application of amphibian physiology to the development of commercial goods such as sunscreen and antifreeze. I suppose it's only fitting that my nickname growing up (and still is) was "frog girl." My attention deficit disorder allows me to jump and wildly leap from one topic of information to the next in frenzied hyperfocus. These experiences served me well in providing me with relevant background information for my experimental food science and community nutrition courses at Texas Christian University. I loved being able to speak up in the classroom and share my experiences as real-world examples, and I look forward to applying my knowledge and training to academia once again. My experiences of taking breaks from school and work to overcome a life-threatening eating disorder have offered me a sense of wisdom and clarity for understanding the natural world even better: Just as specific environments play a contributing role in mental illness, multiple factors are at play in how we develop sustainable, land, air, water, and seas for future generations. After an emergency admission to a local hospital my first semester of college, I missed several days of classes and was diagnosed with severe bulimia nervosa. I withdrew from school to seek treatment immediately upon completion of the fall term. I attended a partial hospitalization program for 11 hours a day at Eating Recovery Center- San Antonio (formerly Eating Disorder Center at San Antonio/EDCASA) winter through spring, and day treatment for 6 hours a day spring through summer of the same year. I was too ill to study, participate in community involvement, or gain employment. I gradually stepped down to intensive outpatient/IOP care at the facility until I was well enough to take courses at a local community college near home. I continued to maintain close contact with my treatment team for weekly psychiatric and physical wellness checks. During my course of treatment, I was also diagnosed and treated for obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. As my condition improved, I reclaimed a sense of insight and purpose that aided me in finding the strong motivation and drive to succeed again. I became determined that my mental health diagnoses would not define me. I completed two years of coursework at Alamo Colleges as an involved member of the Student Leadership Institute, vice-president of the psychology club, and as a member of the National Society of Student Leadership and Success in addition to Phi Theta Kappa. I transferred my coursework to Texas Christian University. However, I was met by a setback in my progress when I experienced a traumatic event that led to a relapse in my eating disorder and a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. I took another medical withdrawal after two separate two-week inpatient stays at Mesa Springs Behavioral Health Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Despite a complicated history of costly mental health struggles, I can now proudly say that I have become fully recovered after taking time off from school since I graduated in 2018. I've gained a unique perspective for appreciating the delicate, yet powerful balance between human activities and our ecosystems as I've worked on reclaiming my physical and mental well-being as a whole person. We cannot thrive as human beings without a balance between a healthy mind and body. We can choose what thoughts to tend to for cultivating positive growth as we have choices in how to cultivate the fertile ground in order for our planet's flora and fauna to thrive. Unfortunately, the foods we eat are currently igniting some of the greatest threats to our own survival on this planet. Bodies of evidence increasingly emphasize that systems of industrial food production are major sources of rising carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to climate change and a loss of biodiversity as a result. I'm excited by the prospect of enrolling in the didactic program in dietetics at Texas A&M while simultaneously studying ecology and conservation biology to address this concern. I've cultivated in my mind a sense of resilience and determination through my radically transformative personal experiences and I refuse to allow collective learned helplessness about our planet's future to paralyze my individual ability to take action. Despite a complicated history of costly mental health struggles, I can now proudly say that I have become fully recovered after seeking treatment and taking time off from school since I graduated. I have put in the hard work in learning how to block my diagnoses from interfering with my ability to reach my academic and career goals. While I refuse to allow my hardships to define me, I no longer hesitate in speaking up and advocating about mental health issues to help reduce stigma. I look forward to using my personal experiences to foster a sense of empathy and understanding in others in my professional life as a registered dietitian. My ultimate career goal as a dietitian is to conduct research in the specialty of environmental nutrition. I'm excited to see what new opportunities lie ahead in this emerging field.

I've always been fascinated by the complex connections between the environment and human health. When I was a zoo docent, I attended educational seminars and live animal handling training while keeping up to date with published, peer reviewed environmental science information. Some of my presentation topics included recycling, composting, backyard conservation, the preservation of threatened and endangered species, organic vs. conventional agricultural practices, pollination, sustainable seafood, medicinal properties of rainforest plants, emerging research on the surprising medicinal properties of amphibian skin secretions, and the application of amphibian physiology to the development of commercial goods such as sunscreen and antifreeze. These experiences served me well in providing me with relevant background information for my experimental food science and community nutrition courses at Texas Christian University. I loved being able to speak up in the classroom and share my experiences as real-world examples, and I look forward to applying my knowledge and training to academia once again. My experiences of taking breaks from school and work to overcome a life-threatening eating disorder has offered me a sense of wisdom and clarity for understanding the natural world even better: Just as specific environments play a contributing role in mental illness, multiple factors are at play in how we develop sustainable, land, air, water, and seas for future generations. I've gained a unique perspective for appreciating the delicate, yet powerful balance between human activities and our ecosystems as I've worked on reclaiming my physical and mental well-being as a whole person. We can choose what thoughts to tend to for cultivating positive growth as we have choices in how to cultivate fertile ground in order for our planet's flora and fauna to thrive. Unfortunately, the foods we eat are currently igniting some of the greatest threats to our own survival on this planet. Bodies of evidence increasingly emphasize that systems of industrial food production are major sources of rising carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to climate change and a loss of biodiversity as a result. I'm excited by the prospect of enrolling in the didactic program in dietetics at Texas A&M while simultaneously studying ecology and conservation biology to address this concern. Despite a complicated history of costly mental health struggles, I can now proudly say that I have become fully recovered after seeking treatment in 2010-2011, fall of 2014, as well as taking time off from school since I graduated in 2018. I have put in the hard work in learning how to block my diagnoses from interfering with my ability to reach my academic and career goals. While I refuse to allow my hardships to define me, I no longer hesitate in speaking up and advocating about mental health issues to help reduce stigma. I look forward to using my personal experiences to foster a sense of empathy and understanding in others in my professional life as a registered dietitian. My ultimate career goal as a dietitian is to conduct research in the specialty of environmental nutrition. As a premiere university in agricultural studies, I'm excited to see what new opportunities lie ahead in this emerging field.