While working in an inpatient behavioral health unit after graduating from college, I became passionate about healthcare access and quality of care improvement within the mental health field. This includes a commitment to alternatives to coercive treatment, equity, trauma informed care, and raising the voices of those with lived experience. Today, I am a public health student dedicated to exploring mental health and psychiatric distress from a systems level framework. I have several years of research experience exploring topics such as eating disorders within marginalized communities, suicidology, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, early adversity, resilience, and serious mental illness. Past internships have included working in social media, forensic psychology, and behavioral health peer advocacy. Volunteer work has included mentoring in a juvenile detention facility, tutoring, and even running a social media campaign for a Board of Supervisors candidate!