I am an incoming fourth year. I love the outdoors, reading, and being active in whatever way I can. I am a very ambitious person and I am always down to try new things, especially in the company of friends and family. As an out-of-state student, I know how hard it is to question where you belong so I take it as a personal goal to make sure everyone feels a sense of community no matter what their future holds.

Hometown

Reading, Massachusetts

Major(s)

Bioinformatics B.S.

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Women in Science Society, UCSC Grappling Club, Cambodian Student Association

Describe your college experience

I moved to California post high school grad at the age of 18 with no community or friends in the state. In my first year, I struggled socially but managed to make a few meaningful connections. After approximately 3 years at UC Santa Cruz, I have grown tremendously; from new friends, to fulfilling hobbies, to life-changing experiences, to finding a career-path that I am passionate about and wish to pursue post-grad. Everyone says college is what you make of it, and here I feel as though I have hit a never-ending spring of amazing opportunities.

Tip for future students

Where high school seems like a structured chapter book, College to me is like a choose-your-own-adventure. That is to say, you must be willing to have a sense of flexibility and self-determination in order to get as much out of it as possible. Be open-minded to everything which comes your way, because you'll be surprised at how many previously-held beliefs get tested and ultimately changed. Make decisions that will improve your life situation for the better because no one else is going to make them for you anymore. Set goals for yourself along the way in order to constantly redefine and reaffirm who you wish to become.

Favorite class

My favorite class that I've had in college was simultaneously my hardest class. BME160 is known by my major as a "weeder" class and it's primarily due to its hands-off approach with teaching the material. The lower-division class's final was a research project where we needed to contact a lab on campus and request they work with us so that we could use their data to construct a tool that can assist their research. The acquiring of this data was completely up to each group in the class and it felt like the training wheels to our metaphorical bikes had just been blown off. But the creating of the tool and the implementation of data made me fall in love with my major and gave a real look into what my future career might entail, for which I was surprised and grateful for.

Career goals

After college, I hope to eventually take my knowledge in bioinformatics and work in conservation genomics, which is a field of genomics that involves the use of bioinformatic technologies to protect biodiversity. As someone who cares deeply for sustainability, I think it is very necessary for society to continue to develop the middle ground between technological advancement and environment preservation, something that I wish to contribute to with my skills.

Ideal way to spend a free night

Free nights for me are typically spent in the company of friends. My friends and I love to watch movies together, especially 5 dollar Tuesdays at Santa Cruz Cinema. If I am by myself, however, I like to curl up in my bed with a good sci-fi book and perhaps some chips and guacamole to a stave off a late-night appetite.

High school or secondary school

I attended Reading Memorial High School in Reading, MA

Favorite spot on campus

My favorite place on campus is the recreation center, particularly the gym portion because on clear days you can see the entire Monterey Bay with enough visibility that you can see the browns of the mountains in Monterey. Every time I see that million dollar view I can't help but marvel at how lucky I am to live on such a breathtaking campus that has both the ocean views and giant redwood trees.