Originally from the Midwest, I relocated to central Texas and received my B.S from Texas State University in Environmental Resource Management with a minor in Studio Art. Environmental science and visual art are two of my biggest passions and my degree plan allowed me to pursue both. Growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, as the eldest of four, I learned early on what responsibility meant, particularly outdoors. Our backyard joined up with a massive tract of wooded common ground; so almost everyday of our childhood was a new adventure through sprawling Ozark woods, quaint waterways, and stunning limestone bluffs. I am also naturally patient, creative; I love teamwork and learning from others. I had no intent of going to college till my senior year in high school, when I was inspired by a series of internships at Litzinger, a local prairie reserve. While working for them I began to learn the extent to which humans have impacted the environment, and felt a calling to protect what afforded me the many meaningful experiences defining my youth. Conserving natural ecosystems became not only my career path but also my number one goal in life. While exploring the various facets of both art and conservation in college, I found education to be the foremost influential aspect to environmental restoration and protection. Eventually, I hope to find a career that utilizes my artistic talents as a mode of conservation by inspiring environmental awareness through education. Since graduation, I have been seeking opportunities to work with the public to gain first hand experience educating others. This is why I am ecstatic to join the SCA and participate in this summer’s Army Corp. Visitors Use Survey. While serving with the SCA, I hope to further define my career path and contribution to the environmental effort by exploring different environmental organizations and management techniques.
