I am working towards an MFA in Interdisciplinary art, where I am merging my knowledge and current research in Zoology with art. My work will help bridge the gap that creates a barrier for people not trained in understanding science by breaking more complicated processes and research down into visual elements. I aim to make science accessible to people from whichever background and knowledge they come with about science. In a way, I am making science more accessible to a diverse group of people. Diversity is significant in the workplace because it brings perspective and problem-solving to create an accessible work environment. I am ADHD and autistic, which has always made finding a suitable workplace challenging. Accommodations are so crucial in my success, but more times than not, the lack of diversity in the places I worked made accommodations difficult to get and made my work more challenging than it needed to be. When I found a job with diverse people and leadership, I recognized that accommodations were easier to receive, and I felt less of a burden. More diversity helps normalize the need for accommodations, making a job more accessible to people passionate about that field of work. Seeing a diverse group of people in a workplace also can help inspire future generations into a specific area of work. For so long, STEM has been populated with a CIS white male majority. It is hard to relate to a field of science when you don't see yourself represented in work. Having a more diverse workplace can help people visualize themselves also working in that field and bring about more motivation to pursue it. Again, a more diverse workplace can bring in people with different perspectives from life experiences, leading to discoveries, new methodologies, and in turn, further research. Diversity in the workplace is important to me because it can normalize accommodations, create accessibility, and inspire those who are usually underrepresented to pursue a field they are passionate about. In addition, diversity builds an inclusive environment and can lead to innovation and more authentic productivity. In a world that is so incredibly diverse, the workplace should naturally follow.

Growing up, I didn't know why I was different. Seeing the world through a different lens led to depression and anxiety taxing my everyday life. However, when I turned 21 I finally received a diagnosis of ADHD, autism, and PTSD. These diagnoses changed my life and helped me work rather than against myself. I went to therapy sessions to learn coping mechanisms for my diagnosis and was able to pursue college then, build relationships, and find hobbies that I love. My experience with mental health has completely changed since being diagnosed and has helped me understand that the world around me is full of diversity making me feel less alone. I have established relationships with people facing similar diagnoses and have met amazing people through my newer hobbies. If it weren't for my diagnosis, I don't think I would be here today and for that, I am forever grateful to my medical team for helping me get here. Mental health can be difficult some days but learning how to work with our brains can be life-changing like I had experienced.

As an athlete, superfoods have helped fuel my body to achieve my goals. I am a trail runner, downhill skateboarder, pilates instructor, yoga teacher, and a free diver. I take nutrition seriously because I know that this is what will keep me going as an endurance athlete and teacher. Superfoods have been a great addition to my diet because of their nutrition density in certain micronutrients. Before incorporating superfoods, I was more tired throughout the day and my body was not recovering as quickly after exercise. Through blood panels, I found that I was missing out on some micronutrients, and superfoods throughout my diet helped supplement those needs. The superfoods that I love most include hemp, chia, avocado, mushrooms, and turmeric. All of these foods play a role in keeping my body in tip-top shape to keep going as an athlete and as a student. Hemp and chia seeds contain protein, fiber, and healthy fatty acids. Avocados provide a great source of potassium and are also rich in folate and monounsaturated fats. Mushrooms provide fiber, protein, and antioxidants, and they also contain B vitamins such as riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, and niacin. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and the chemical curcumin can help lessen inflammation and pain. I incorporate superfoods into my diet in a variety of ways. One of my favorite ways is to make smoothies. I can through avocado, chia, and some fruit into a blender to create a quick nutrient-dense meal for post-exercise fuel. Hemp seeds are amazing in overnight oats and I will also include a variety of berries to add in antioxidants as well as a couple of chopped-up brazil nuts which are high in vitamin E and phenols. I add turmeric to just about everything I cook and make sure to also add black pepper to help make turmeric more bioavailable to absorb. Lastly, mushrooms. I enjoy adding mushrooms to my cooking as well and my favorite mushrooms are trumpet, oyster, and lion's mane. Adding superfoods to my diet has not only been fun, but I also feel that it has helped me pack in micronutrients that I may have otherwise been missing. I feel more energetic and am happy knowing that eating superfoods doesn't need to be expensive like it's often chalked up to be. Superfoods also taste great and can be mixed into favorite meals making it easy to get them in while not adhering to any diet changes.

I always knew I was a little different, odd, with my curly hair and glasses and the way that I mimicked the ways others talked and the ways they held expressions on their faces. I never had to do that with animals, which is why I liked them and maybe why many took a liking to me as well. Relationships with people were never my thing growing up, I could barely hold a decent conversation, and by the time I tried, it was always done. Friendships didn't last long, and I didn't know why because I was always called friendly, but I guess that my curly-haired glasses wearing a face full of other people's expressions and dialogue that I took from movies, sometimes was enough to turn them off. Being lonely throughout most of my life and especially my childhood with a lot going wrong, it wasn't until I turned 23 that I was diagnosed with both autism and ADHD that it finally clicked. I began to understand that I masked who I was to become more of who everyone else was so that I could fit in. But I didn't always have to mask. Animals had played a substantial role in my life; even when I was so far from myself, they acted as a safe haven to get lost in as I continued exploring my own backyard and the hills around where I could be authentically me. After diagnosis and treatment plans that included cognitive behavior therapy and medication, my outlook on life began to change. I was more comfortable being myself, but I also found direction in my life, such as what I wanted to do for school, where I wanted to aim for in a career, and who I wanted to be around in relationships. In addition, my love for animals guided me to my studies in Zoology and scientific illustration and sculpture for graduate studies. My life began to fall in place as I unmasked. I feel that I would be a good candidate for this scholarship because of my ability to push forward despite my learning disabilities. I take the initiative to take care of myself as I move through life with my learning disabilities and help guide teenagers with learning and intellectual disabilities through mentoring to do the same. I have become an advocate for younger generations to unapologetically be themselves and make sure to be an example as I do the same.

In 1861, Jakob Niemeyer discovered the fossilized remains of a feathered dinosaur named the Archaeopteryx. The fossil was found in southern Germany and was hypothesized to be the "missing link" between dinosaurs and birds. Since then, the Archaeopteryx has become a central piece of how we understand evolution today. The discovery of Archaeopteryx has bridged a connection for me as well. During my studies, I have always been curious about where birds come from. Understanding common ancestors explain their characteristics and where they originated. As a Zoology major during my undergraduate degree and a soon-to-be scientific illustrator for an MFA, the discovery of Archaeopteryx is important to me. I have a strong focus on ornithology for the research I want to conduct and be a part of and the scientific illustrations and sculptures I would like to create. Understanding evolution and phylogenetic relationships help me communicate through both research and my art and establish a connection with the general public.

I have a unique way of pursuing a degree in STEM and have faced many obstacles during my pursuit. On top of being a woman, I am both autistic and ADHD, which has always created barriers to receiving an accessible education. Therefore, my reasons for continuing are to gain the education needed to reach people who find interpreting science difficult. Early in my undergraduate degree, I decided that I would pursue integrative biology, specifically, Zoology. After I receive my BS in Zoology, I will be going for my MFA to merge science and art and access the general public where science sometimes misses. I want to be a science communicator and use art as my way of doing so. Art does something that science alone can't always do. Art builds a backbone for finding solutions and understanding from a broad audience; it elicits the viewer to feel and understand the problems that science is addressing or needs to address. Without scientific jargon, people globally can interpret data and findings through visual illustrations. Art can also be used to illustrate what we can see, for instance, cellular structure or the organs of a bird. By creating these illustrations, people can see what usually can't be seen outside of labs. One thing I am passionate about is wildlife conservation. Through my understanding of Zoology and my ability to bring it to life through art, I feel confident in working with researchers to tackle these issues and then also transform them into visuals for the everyday person. This is what excites me. I am currently working on a project through sculpture, and a mock grant proposal in a gap of research is marine birds and plastic pollution. My sculptures share what is happening by displaying an open crop with litter I found on the beach, where my science fills in the blanks of why this is such an issue and possible solutions for the problem. Although pursuing my degree has been difficult due to obstacles I face as a neurodivergent woman, I have found that STEM and art are my passions, and obstacles cannot stop me from pursuing my dream. It is essential to keep going and to question and change the systems placed within universities. I do my best to advocate for myself and other people who experience discrimination or inaccessibility within the school system because education in STEM should be accessible to everyone.

Reflecting on core memories, they always had to do with something animal-related. I grew up exploring my backyard, catching frogs and lizards while chirping back at the birds nearby. My relationships with animals allow me to create art that captures the serenity of nature that I have felt ever since I was a child. Sculptural and 2D work encompasses identity, storytelling, and wildlife conservation, where I use animals as my muse and create stories through their gestures. As a neurodivergent woman, I often juggle between masks to match the neurotypical presentation of others around me. The animals I sculpt reflect my identity, and how I move between masks is reflected in the different species within my work. Before starting a new piece, I need to understand the animal's personality and how I relate. I use my touch to shape clay and give life to the animal. I often exaggerate features to make their figures more whimsical to allow others to view my work with a more child-like gaze. Clay allows me to bring my illustrations to life and into the third dimension while feeling in tune with a highly tangible and moldable medium. Moving amongst many mediums is natural to me, and I use illustration, painting, and photography to shape other areas of my practice. Scientific illustration and painting allow for more refinement and control in my work, whereas photography brings others along with me to less accessible places as I dive beneath the ocean. Different mediums allow me to explore and be guided into unknown territory. It enables me to provoke new ways of processing and drives me to connect with something beyond myself where I can become lost in a place of wonder, curiosity, and reflection. A project I am now pursuing involves the subject of plastic pollution. I will use sculptures and plastic litter that I find as I walk along the beaches and trails. I will sculpt birds with exposed crops where plastics will be placed to demonstrate what we cannot see from the outside. I want to merge research and technical writing with my art to talk about plastic pollution and how those less privileged are directly affected by this type of pollution. Throughout my residencies, I will explore activism further and guide people through art toward political and social changes that will better the world for current and future generations, both human and animal.

As an autistic and ADHD person, the meaning of "taking up space" changed tremendously when COVID-19 hit. The pandemic moved me towards the cliche realization that life is short and that being myself will make life more enriching and bring forth unique opportunities and people. The concept of taking up space became the idea that I could be myself unapologetically. As I unmasked, I realized that I was met with some internal and external resistance, but things began to settle as I pushed forward. Taking up space means reclaiming myself and following what makes me, me. I started applying for MFA programs which is a complete switch from the current undergraduate degree I will be graduating with within June 2022, and I also began mentoring disabled teenagers. Working with other disabled people has given me a lot of courage to lead by example and pave a path for kids also trying to succeed in the neurotypical world. It is not easy to get by in school or the workplace when accommodations are lacking, and I teach teens to accept nothing but the best for themselves. I help them understand that taking up space is not something they should apologize for and deserve. It is essential to lead by example, and I do my best to do this every day. As I continue to grad school, I will apply this to my field. I want to take up space as a neurodivergent person and a wildlife conservationist. I want to create art that creates conversation and leads to improvement and action. An art field is a place that only men have historically dominated, and the narrative is finally becoming more balanced. However, faculty at art schools have shown true colors through many incidences. I will stand up for myself and others in the case of injustice. This concept has navigated me closer to my dreams and who I am as a person, and I will forever be taking up space as I continue through my life journey. However, taking up space does not allow life to push you around, control your circumstances, and create boundaries. I want to lead other minorities to do the same as we navigate the world together.

This piece is titled Rhino Horn is not Medicine and was made using rio red clay fired to cone 6 and then inked over with Dr. Ph Martin acrylics. This piece is significant to my lifelong passion for wildlife conservation and uses a rhino as my muse. A red piece of recycled fabric is used as a tourniquet to represent the tourniquets used by conservationists when they dehorn rhinos to prevent their death from poachers. Unfortunately, this does not always deter poachers from killing the rhino; some will continue to kill them as an act of rebellion to tell conservationists that even this won't stop them. Rhino horn is not Medicine shares the conversation of the belief that rhino horn cure ailments; however, the horn is made of keratin which we as humans have ourselves. I used clay because it becomes permanent when the clay is fired, and the medium helps me communicate the permanence that comes from extinction. This work is meant to build awareness and guide others to action. This piece guides me to create more conservation-driven work and acts as a catalyst.