Shortly after I finished my bachelors degree, I held a green initiatives coordinator internship position for a group of restaurants in Columbus, Ohio in 2007. One of the focus areas was understanding ways to divert compostables and recyclables from landfills, and it was at that point that I became interested in waste management. I always have been environmentally minded, but that is where I finally felt like "I" as an individual could make positive changes to the environment that could have a lasting impact. Once I completed the internship, I began working at a food safety and chemistry lab, where I met many science minded people who, like myself, had an interest in growing fresh fruits and vegetables for cooking and canning purposes. Again, I wanted to learn how to take more control of how I interacted with the environment in order to lessen my impact on my surroundings. I became an avid gardener, and quickly decided I wanted to further my knowledge in growing plants for food, so I went back to school to study plant pathology. Shortly after earning my masters in 2013, I began working at The Scotts Miracle-Gro company. In 2015, I joined the growing media team, and quickly became immersed in biology projects related to In-ground gardening, including compost & mulch. Even though I manage gardening and plant growth trials at work, I am still a gardening enthusiast at home who tries to can and freeze excess harvests. I also try to home compost yard waste and vegetable scraps whenever possible. I am happy to be able to work on projects that supports home gardening and composting science with aims to improve composting processes and end products. The plus here is I know I am working towards waste management strategy efforts that will minimize impact on the environment.