I grew up exploring Texas and the American West, and to this day, I remain in awe of their natural beauty. The older I got, the more I wanted to understand the forces that led to their unique phenomena. This curiosity led me towards STEM classes in high school, and eventually to the geosciences at the University of Texas.

Fairly early in my undergraduate years, I specialized in Hydrogeology because I felt that, as vital as water resources are, they are poorly understood. However, as I progressed further in my degree, I hit a significant roadblock: I realized I was learning facts; I was learning the answers to my questions, but I wasn’t learning how to answer them myself. Moreover, I lacked the skills necessary to answer the questions I was asking. This realization led to a conversation with a professor who suggested I look into Computational Geoscience—a field focused on simulating and modeling Earth systems. Following this conversation, I promptly signed up for an introduction to computer science course, eventually leading to two computer science-related certificates and countless hours of research.

After graduating, I joined INTERA Inc. as a Groundwater Modeler working on the Hanford Site—one of the world’s most complex, unique, and largest nuclear remediation sites. I held this role for a year, during which I acquired a range of critical technical and professional skills necessary to succeed in the environmental and water resources fields. 

Currently, I am pursuing my Master’s degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with Dr. Haruko Wainwright as my adviser. My research focuses on applying machine learning techniques to solving groundwater problems.