As a Colorado native, I’ve always had a deep passion and respect for the outdoors, especially the natural world. I am also an avid hiker whose life has been impacted on a regular basis by the work of landscape architects. In high school I was exposed to a variety of STEM related courses which ultimately led me to choosing the field that I am in. When I discovered there was a career path that would allow me to combine my passions for design and the natural world, I instantly fell in love with the field of landscape architecture. Having the ability to create spaces that are not only beneficial to the environment, but also create lasting positive impacts on the surrounding communities excites me everyday. My academic career so far has given me a variety of unique opportunities that have allowed me to explore many different aspects of landscape architecture. From smaller local projects in my college community of Manhattan, Kansas, to larger scale design competition projects in Rome, Italy, a lot of my education so far has been focused on learning how to be a designer. More recently, I completed a community engagement project located in the city of Des Moines, Iowa, which gave me the opportunity to explore a large scale mixed use design project.