About Me.
I have loved science my entire life. Ever since joining my high school's Science Olympiad team in ninth grade, I had my heart set on pursuing science in college. As I got older I learned the value to communicating your ideas to others to better facilitate the collaborative process. I reflected on my high school years and remembered the significance of my teachers on my self-esteem, optimism, and on my personal growth. I would like to have a positive impact on people like they did for me, so it is only logical that I would become a teacher. Teaching enables me to share my knowledge of science while being a positive role model for students. It would also allow me to develop powerful, long-lasting relationships with the community to launch the Sisters In Science program, an organization I started in eleventh grade to specifically help young girls develop enthusiasm for science while realizing that they are capable of pursuing careers in typically male-dominated STEM careers. I dream of bringing this program to a larger scale.
EDUCATION
Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Syracuse University- BS in Physics and Earth Sciences
Syracuse University- MS in Science Education
Cicero-North Syracuse High School
Syracuse University- BS in Physics and Earth Sciences
Syracuse University- MS in Science Education
EXPERIENCE / SKILLS
Science Olympiad State and Regional Supervisor 2015-present
Science Olympiad National Supervisor at Cornell University
Performance Engineering Team Head of Media and Marketing
Science Olympiad State and Regional Supervisor 2015-present
Science Olympiad National Supervisor at Cornell University
Performance Engineering Team Head of Media and Marketing
AWARDS / RECOGNITION
National Congress of Future Scientists Award of Excellence
Central New York Leaders of Tomorrow Award
Science Olympiad New York State Champion 2015, 2018
NCWIT Aspirations in Computing State Winner 2017, 2018
National Congress of Future Scientists Award of Excellence
Central New York Leaders of Tomorrow Award
Science Olympiad New York State Champion 2015, 2018
NCWIT Aspirations in Computing State Winner 2017, 2018
Science Olympiad.
Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education, increasing male, female and minority interest in science, creating a technologically-literate workforce and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers. These goals are achieved by participating in Science Olympiad tournaments and non-competitive events, incorporating Science Olympiad into classroom curriculum and attending teacher training institutes.
I have been a part of Science Olympiad since ninth grade. Over the years my events include Write It Do It (two time state champion), Meteorology, Towers, Mission Possible, and more. In 2015, I helped bring our school team to its first state tournament appearance in years. My partner and I capped off an emotional night with a gold medal, our first. In 2016, I became an event supervisor for the middle school division, a responsibility I will continue for years to come. In 2017, my partner and I repeated as regional gold medalist but came up short in the state finals. In 2018, we were able to repeat as state gold medalists in our last competition. The immense satisfaction we felt on that night was unprecedented. My success and experience as a supervisor has earned me the position of National Event Supervisor at the national tournament in June 2019 at Cornell University. |
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Performance Engineering.
Even after my time with them in high school, I remain the head of the performance engineering team's media and marketing department. As the team prepares to compete in the Shell Eco-Marathon Americas in Sonoma, California, the responsibilities of fundraising and publicity is left to me. Follow the team's progress as they prepare on our website!
Summer with SUNY ESF.
Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be stranded in the woods. With people I don’t know. Without cellphone reception. It happened in August 2016 when I attended a summer field study program in the Adirondacks, hosted by SUNY ESF. It was a great opportunity to not only explore many fields of science, but also to get a hands-on experience in the outdoors. What I missed in the application process was just how close to nature we would be getting. It sounds ridiculous, but I assumed there would be a facility with some amenities; after all, it was advertised that we would be working in a laboratory. It would be an understatement to say it was far from that. I lived in a cabin where the mice ate their through the screen door on the third day. The professors emphasized we must walk carefully because it was two hours to the nearest hospital and there was no way we could make it if someone was near death. And to top it all off, we ran out of apple juice on day four.
The surprises seemed to lose their importance because I was doing what I am passionate about, science. Along with students from neighboring districts, I was spending my days taking classes, collecting data, researching, and participating in traditional camp activities. It was not only the content of what I was learning, but the knowledgable and spirited group of students I was living with. All of us shared a desire to not only learn more about the science field, but to learn from each other. It didn’t matter where we were from, only where we were going. Goals and passions became a central part of our conversation. We bonded over the fact that only a few students ever get to share this experience, and we were the chosen few who got to go on this adventure. Never was I in my element and out of my element at once.
On the second day I climbed a mountain. I dug my boots into the soil as I scaled the small but steady incline, using each tree to steady myself as the altitude became higher, the air becoming thinner. When the incline went from gradual to steep, the uncertainty of where my foot would find its next foothold entered my thoughts. I struggled to time my water breaks to conserve enough for the trip back. Hearing a scream and seeing a fellow student collapse in pain as she twisted an ankle, I rushed to her and built a brace out of some sticks and twine so she could keep going. She was taking turns using each of us as a support for the next few miles. We enjoyed reaching the summit and seeing just how far we had come. I smiled to my friends as we stared over the edge, only a few feet away from the dangerous drop. Never in a million years did I think I would be a part of something this far out of my comfort zone. How lucky am I?
This adventure was beyond an academic trip. Not only did it cement my passion and enjoyment of science, it taught me that I can adapt to unknown circumstances while embracing that uncertainty. It turns out that while I was stranded in the woods, I actually found myself.
The surprises seemed to lose their importance because I was doing what I am passionate about, science. Along with students from neighboring districts, I was spending my days taking classes, collecting data, researching, and participating in traditional camp activities. It was not only the content of what I was learning, but the knowledgable and spirited group of students I was living with. All of us shared a desire to not only learn more about the science field, but to learn from each other. It didn’t matter where we were from, only where we were going. Goals and passions became a central part of our conversation. We bonded over the fact that only a few students ever get to share this experience, and we were the chosen few who got to go on this adventure. Never was I in my element and out of my element at once.
On the second day I climbed a mountain. I dug my boots into the soil as I scaled the small but steady incline, using each tree to steady myself as the altitude became higher, the air becoming thinner. When the incline went from gradual to steep, the uncertainty of where my foot would find its next foothold entered my thoughts. I struggled to time my water breaks to conserve enough for the trip back. Hearing a scream and seeing a fellow student collapse in pain as she twisted an ankle, I rushed to her and built a brace out of some sticks and twine so she could keep going. She was taking turns using each of us as a support for the next few miles. We enjoyed reaching the summit and seeing just how far we had come. I smiled to my friends as we stared over the edge, only a few feet away from the dangerous drop. Never in a million years did I think I would be a part of something this far out of my comfort zone. How lucky am I?
This adventure was beyond an academic trip. Not only did it cement my passion and enjoyment of science, it taught me that I can adapt to unknown circumstances while embracing that uncertainty. It turns out that while I was stranded in the woods, I actually found myself.