Biography

I was born in 2002 in Ojai, California, a town nestled in the Topa Topa mountain range of Ventura County. I think that the topography of my surroundings almost certainly played a role in my love of geography; valleys always tend to make me feel secure and at home, and I love exploring the Los Padres National Forest to the north.

I decided to become a geographer during my sophomore year of college, but truly the decision was the result of years of change, precipitated by the Thomas Fire in 2017. As the natural surroundings of my town were consumed by flame, the vague sorts of feelings I had about the environment coalesced instantly into an urge to protect it. This feeling was dipolar: the more I learned about climate change and the harm that humans cause, the more pessimistic I grew about the future, but my resolve grew alongside my despair.

I have spent my time at UCLA learning and planning the most effective and impactful route for my future. While climate and ecological science has deeply investigated how humans are impacting the planet, they have not been able to functionally do much about it. I want my future to be effective in this respect. I want to be able to help people prepare for the worst impacts of climate change, to predict how and where its ramifications will be, and to communicate this with people and governments for the benefit of all.