I am Southern California born and raised and have spent the majority of my childhood by the ocean. As a kid I remember visiting my local aquarium, Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and just being in awe of all the animals and exhibits. I grew up watching education programs that discussed marine animals such as Octonauts and the Discovery Channel. However, my true interest in the ocean and environment didn't ramp up until high school. I tried getting involved in clubs and activities and became president of our Earth Club, where I would educate about various sustainability goals, have fundraisers and discuss environmental issues going on. In my senior year, I decided to take a class called Advanced Placement Environmental Sciences, where I believe I really began growing my passion. In this class, I learned what the term ocean acidification was, and how climate change was impacting our coral reefs. This directed me into choosing what major I wanted when applying to colleges, and made me want to dedicate my life to protecting and conserving our ocean planet. I recently just graduated from University of California, San Diego with a major in Marine Biology and double minor in Environmental Systems and Mechanical Engineering. Whenever I mention both of my minors, it strikes people with surprise. The original thought was to double major in Marine Biology and Environmental Engineering, where I could use engineering techniques to develop sustainable infrastructure to protect our ocean planet. Then when I got to UCSD, that major was discontinued. To make up for it, I decided to double minor in these two separate areas. When it came to my engineering background, I was initially interested in developing and maintaining instruments and equipment that could be used for collecting either oceanographic data or marine mammal migration data. I remember as a freshman attending a seminar that discussed creating basically hats that would be put on seals to track their sleep patterns, which intrigued me so much. However, I managed to find the perfect niche that includes both engineering and marine biology that I will be working on during my masters program. During my time as an undergraduate student, I volunteered in the Daniel Wangprasert Coral Reef Ecophysiology and Engineering lab, where new technologies in the material sciences realm are used to assist and accelerate coral reef restoration efforts. In my time in the lab, I have helped develop new material substrates for coral larvae to grow on, whether this means changing the material competition or the shape using silicone molding techniques or 3D ceramic printing. Another technology used by my lab is a non-toxic antifouling coating, that basically prevents green filamentous algae from growing where coral should grow. This coating eliminates the competition that this green algae and coral would originally compete for space. Taking all of the skills I have learned, I will be able to apply this knowledge to my masters project, which will be analyzing the growth of crustose coralline algae (CCA) on our various substrates and coatings. CCA function as critical ecosystem engineers by stabilizing reef substrates through calcification and by releasing biochemical cues that facilitate coral larval settlement. With increasing impacts of climate change impacting coral reef ecosystems, using our technologies to assist reef building organisms can be key in delaying the degradation of these habitats.

Dancing has been a huge part of my life since I was five years old. I look back on my memories and remember how much it has helped me through the phases of my life. What makes dancing so exciting for me is being able to express my feelings and thoughts to make me have control over myself - over my mind and body creatively. Dancing has helped me figure out who I am and express myself. Patience has been one of the best skills to take away from dance. Nothing happens right away; it takes work, energy, and most importantly time. If you manage to stay on top of your tasks and goals, you will see results. Not only do these skills through dance help me academically, but it has also now translated into practice with my job. As I’ve gotten older, I have worked as a dance instructor for children at my dance studio. My overall goal with teaching is to inspire my students to find joy in dance as well as understand that it requires focus and dedication. Trying to elaborate the same love I have for dance to these young children, however, can be difficult. In one instance, I had a girl in my class that didn't want to participate. She refused to put on her shoes and seemed to have no motivation. My approach was to react calmly and gently to slowly incorporate her into my class. I asked her if she wanted to sit down and watch the rest of the students do their exercises. She agreed and proceeded to sit down and watch. As the class progressed, she began to be more involved and started to do the exercises along with the other kids. This same process continued for a few months until she started showing up to class, enthusiastic to learn. This experience opened my eyes and made me realize how my patience and flexibility impacted her own dance journey. It is an honor to be in a position that allows me to guide young students at the beginning of their dance journeys and mentor them to their full potential. I hope to continue being a leader to those students that are willing to learn and to help them find the same passion for dance that I have.

Ever since I was little, I have been fascinated with the ocean. I wanted to explore, find new species, and be able to get up close with marine mammals. I wanted to learn everything about every living organism I saw along the beach growing up. As I got older, I learned more about how humanity damaged our oceans and became passionate about learning how we can protect and save them. To become more involved in this topic at a local level, I decided to take part in revamping our school’s Earth Club during the midst of the pandemic. Every meeting drove me to become more immersed in learning about each thing I could do to present information about the global change to our members. After joining this club, it led me to investigate the topic of ocean conservation and environmentalism, two topics I have become very passionate about. When I became a senior in high school, I chose to take an Advanced Placement Environmental Science class, which taught me more about these topics. In this class, I was tasked to plan an Earth Day Fair at our school that informed and encouraged people about preserving and saving the ocean. This event challenged me to make engaging activities for students while also being able to educate and inform them. Being involved and taking this class truly influenced where I wanted my future to go. Alongside every step of the way, my mother was there to help me. She endlessly supported me and continuously told me that I could do and achieve anything. I have always looked up to her for her patience, kindness, and the sacrifices she has made for me. Her dream career goal was to become a marine biologist and study at the University of California, San Diego. However, due to her financial struggle around the time of my birth, she was unable to fulfill her dream. Now, my future career goal is to become a marine biologist and an environmental engineer to help create and construct environmentally friendly infrastructure for our planet. As I go to college at the University of California, San Diego this fall, I will start to learn more, and be able to distribute my knowledge on how we as a society can better conserve our oceans for future generations. With a Marine Biology and Environmental Engineering degree, I hope to lead the next generation in teaching people about saving the planet. The greatest accomplishment I could ask for is making sure my actions leave an impact on people by preserving our only home, as well as making my mother proud and achieving the dream she couldn’t have.

Dancing has been a huge part of my life since I was five years old. I look back on my memories and remember how much it has helped me through the phases of my life. Being able to be at my dance studio and be free with my movements feels amazing. It’s fascinating how an art form can be so beautiful, yet challenging, so intricate, and yet so time-consuming. What makes dancing so exciting for me is being able to express my feelings and thoughts to make me have control over myself - over my mind and body creatively. Dancing has helped me figure out who I am and express myself. My twelve-year journey has helped me find my individuality by appealing to my imagination and helping me perform in front of an audience. Each movement can have a symbolic meaning as if you are writing a poem with your body. Dancing gives you an outlet to express yourself through someone else's shoes. As a performer, you have the ability to play different characters with different emotions. It’s all in your movement and your facial expressions. That is what I love; dancing has unlimited opportunities to express yourself. Whether I’m telling a story, or conveying emotions at the moment, the artistic creativity found in dance helps express who I am to everyone. Being able to escape from reality with dance is a great reset to help me focus and stay determined when I come back to the real world. I take the same skills I use when I dance and apply them to other aspects of my life. When it comes to my academics, I do my best to stay dedicated, focused, and patient. Keeping my patience has been one of the best skills to take away from dance. Nothing happens right away; it takes work, energy, and most importantly time. If you manage to stay on top of your tasks and goals, you will see results. Not only do these skills through dance help me academically, but it has also now translated into practice with my job. As I’ve gotten older, I have worked as a dance instructor for children at my dance studio. My overall goal with teaching is to inspire my students to find joy in dance as well as understand that it requires focus and dedication. Trying to elaborate the same love I have for dance to these young children, however, can be difficult. One instance, I had a girl in my class that didn't want to participate. She refused to put on her shoes and seemed to have no motivation. My approach was to react calmly and gently to slowly incorporate her into my class. I asked her if she wanted to sit down and watch the rest of the students do their exercises. She agreed and proceeded to sit down and watch. As the class progressed, she began to be more involved and started to do the exercises along with the other kids. This same process continued for a few months until she started showing up to class, enthusiastic to learn. This experience opened my eyes and made me realize how my patience and flexibility impacted her own dance journey. It is an honor to be in a position that allows me to guide young students at the beginning of their dance journeys and mentor them to their full potential. I hope to continue being a leader to those students that are willing to learn and to help them find the same passion for dance that I have.