One of my best internship experiences kicked off with heatstroke. Harvesting over 400 lbs of produce under the central valley heat sparked my passion for agriculture and the food industry. Being my first exposure to the industry, I learned how to manage a quarter acre urban farm delivering to food banks during the COVID 19 crisis. Today, farmers are at the forefront of facing climate change and rising costs. For consumers, we all know how frustrating rising food prices can be. I took a pivot into agriculture and the food system during my final years in UC Davis. Originally on the path for law, my passion for cooking and the environment has led to my current role in strengthening our food systems. As a vegetarian since birth, alternative protein became my original inspiration in providing us better access to food while limiting our footprint. Over the Summer of 2022 my focus shifted to herbal medicine as I spent two months working on a Wisconsin Ginseng farm. With a history in Eastern medicine for over 2000 years, Ginseng is a remarkable root native to the United States. Turning Ginseng back to American consumers is the next challenge I seek to address. Living in four different countries it is hard to tell you where I am from. I was born in California while spending my grade school attending American schools overseas in Taipei and Shanghai. Eventually I spent a year in Paris and Irvine and finally finished my undergraduate career in UC Davis. Currently, I am attending Tufts Friedman for an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment.