I was born in Chicago, Illinois (and have had the privilege of living in various locations). My mother always mentioned that no matter where we lived in pursuit of our goals, my fascination with animals had never wavered. As far back as I can recall, I always seemed to know that I wanted to pursue a career that involved working with animals, so it was only natural for me to want to become a veterinarian. I gained relevant experience by volunteering at the Brookfield Zoo, with additional experience as a kennel assistant at an animal hospital.

I attended and received my Associates in Science degree at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois for my first two years of higher education, before attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2018. It is here where I began my job as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Hans Stein’s Monogastric Nutrition laboratory. As a major in Animal Science, I wanted to explore different venues to see where I could take my degree. I worked at Dr. Stein’s lab until I received my Bachelors in Animal Science degree in May of 2020. 

I planned to apply to vet med during my senior year, but through a series of unexpected events, it was made clear that God had chosen a different path for me. Currently, I am applying to Masters programs to become a Pathologists’ Assistant while continuing my work as a researcher in Dr. Stein’s lab.

I would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Stein for providing me this opportunity, as I am extremely fortunate to continue to work alongside a team of highly motivated and intuitive individuals. I look forward to learning more about the lab processes and their procedures, as well as contributing to the overall production of the lab.