What makes you a Difference Maker?

I believe I am a difference maker because I have compassion for not only other humans, but all living things and the environment in which they live. I believe that every life has value and that we should, as humans, do our best to create a healthy environment to foster the best growth possible for each individual. I also believe that when someone has done something wrong, that there is hope for redemption through loving and nurturing. I try my best to live my life by keeping these things in mind every day, and by helping others do so as well.

Tell us about your leadership experience.

As an incoming freshman, I received the Metropolitan scholarship for my academic performance in high school, which my family was very proud of. I continued to excel in my classes here at UM-Dearborn, which caught the attention of one of my professors, who offered me a research position after just my first semester. I spent that summer studying spider behavior outdoors and in the lab. I also presented my findings at the university showcase in the fall. In my sophomore year, I had the honor of receiving the Distinguished Research Award in Biology for all of the hard work that I had done. During my freshman year, I explored many clubs, and I ended up joining and participating in ECO Club, the environment club on campus. During my sophomore year, I was the treasurer of the ECO Club, and finally, during my junior year, I had the honor of becoming the president.

During my junior year, I had the honor of serving as president of the ECO Club on campus, which strives to educate the campus community about current environmental issues and fundraise for these issues. Despite the ongoing situation with online learning and the pandemic, ECO Club still held many events and fundraisers throughout the year, such as charity streaming events, social media campaigns, and collaborations with other organizations. During this time I facilitated biweekly meetings and collaborated with other members of the organization to make these events come to fruition. It is an experience I will never forget and take with me wherever I go in life.

What is your dream career or goal?

My career goal is to go into research related to organisms and their environment. I have a passion for learning more about the world around me, and specifically how organisms function and behave. I also think that it is humans' responsibility to fix and improve what we have created, including the damage to the natural environment. In my future career, I hope to be able to make a difference in the understanding of the natural environment and/or make a positive impact on the way that humans are interacting with their environment. Overall, I hope to see a change for the better in how humans respect the world around them.

What is your most defining moment?

My defining moment at UM-Dearborn was representing ECO Club in the Go Blue Bash in the fall of 2019. It was a windy summer day before the semester started, and all of the clubs were gathered outside of the field house. Soon, a group of excited incoming students and their parents made their way toward us. I enjoyed myself very much on that day, seeing the smiling faces of the excited and nervous students ready to start their university journey. I remembered the feeling fondly, and it brought me joy to know that others got to experience that as well.