Get To Know Me

I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama with two brothers and my loving parents. At the age of twelve, I was diagnosed with a rare type of lymphatic cancer that I had to do intense treatments for. This same cancer would later return after my freshman year of college, but again I overcame it. My experience with cancer had a great impact on the person I have become today and I continue to use my voice to bring awareness to childhood cancer. As for how I got into engineering, I have my family to thank. Following my two older brothers ' footsteps, I joined my High Schools Engineering Academy where my interest in engineering began. In addition to this, I have always had an interest in environmental and biological sciences. I care deeply for the earth and all of the valuable life that is supported by its complex biological processes. I found that Biosystems Engineering was the perfect major to marry my interests together.

At Auburn University, I studied Biosystems Engineering with a minor in Sustainability so that I would be equipped with the necessary skills to solve global problems concerning the environment. I am deeply passionate about this Major for three reasons:  Engineering provides a challenge, it piques my interest in a fun way, and provides me with the opportunity to make a meaningful living for myself. Aside from developing technical design and problem-solving skills, my liberal arts minor taught me about the interpersonal side of problem-solving. Not only did I learn about the social and economic aspects of environmental issues, but I learned of the intricacies that go into developing and implementing systems to solve problems. 

Upon graduating with my Bachelors, I began graduate school at North Carolina State University, focusing on hydrology. My thesis is about improving the resiliency of stormwater control measures in the face of climate change. Stormwater control measures are infrastructure designed to mitigate the effects of stormwater runoff in urbanized areas. The main purpose of this research is to find the point of weakness in various stormwater control measures through analytical modeling and make design retrofit recommendations for NCDOT to implement. After I receive my master's degree, I wish to design green infrastructure for urban areas.

 

The way our society develops land and constructs buildings does not always take into consideration the impact it will have on the environment. Humans and nature are a part of a large system that must coexist in the same biological spheres. By making improvements to urban infrastructure, we could cause a ripple of positive impacts across the earth. My main goal in pursuing engineering is to improve the quality of life for others in a way that is resourceful, sustainable, and intuitive. From green infrastructure to resource management and agriculture, there are many ways I see myself working to make our world function more effectively. In addition to this, I want to be an educator and entrepreneur. As I said I enjoy interacting with and making personal connections with people. Educating others about sustainability and the environment would be an excellent way for me to make positive changes through human interaction. As for becoming an entrepreneur, I want to make something of my own that I can be proud of. Starting a business surrounding my ideas about uplifting minorities, healthy environmental practices or sustainability is a critical goal of mine.