I love science and creating engaging opportunities to foster scientific thinking in today's young scholars. I currently develop programs for school age audiences at the Oakland Museum of California. Leveraging our multi-faceted collections and campus, I work closely with curatorial and programming colleagues to provide student-driven, inquiry-focused, hands-on experiences for K-12 students.I graduated from the RIPTIDES program through San Francisco State University, conducting research on harbor porpoise nutrition as part of the Hines Lab at the Estuary and Ocean Science Center in Tiburon. Using my experience in biological research, and after working with the WATCH Program (teen program at Monterey Bay Aquarium), I hope to lead students in conducting scientific research and thinking about science differently, developing new ways to contextualize science education with current events.I previously worked as a science teacher at Santa Teresa High School, serving students of diverse backgrounds in South San Jose for two years. I completed my student teaching at Pajaro Valley High School, and have completed a graduate degree at University of California, Santa Cruz in the Single Subject Science Cohort of the Education MA/Credential program. In 2015, I received the Robert Noyce Teacher Fellowship, awarded to driven and active members of the CalTeach program at UC Santa Cruz. I was also a research participant for the SSTELLA Project, a program focusing on fostering the language and literacy of English learners in secondary science classrooms. I have participated in research and curriculum development with the ELVer Lab at Long Marine Labs, and also mentored high school students in the summer STEM Institute at Cañada College in Redwood City. I also worked as a tutor and peer mentor to undergraduate students in the Academic Excellence Program at UC Santa Cruz from 2012-2015, assisting in problem-solving sessions for university-level chemistry, biology, and math courses. In my spare time, I do freelance design work. I created logos for the Monterey Bay Science Project, as well as the UCSC MA/Credential Program Science Cohort (c/o 2016). I also create chalk and paint signs for weddings and other events.