While there, I interned at The Meadows, sharing my love for wildlife with local students—and I realized I loved talking to people about science. After graduating, I taught visitors about natural history at the Witte Museum before getting the chance to help create a space for learning about the Edwards Aquifer.

From a nature center to a museum to the Edwards Aquifer Authority Education Outreach Center, science has taken me on an incredible journey. Celebrating women and girls in science today and always.

Initially, I was on track to become a social studies teacher, which requires taking History, Geography, and Political Science. The more geography related courses I took at Texas State University’s Department of Geography, where Environmental Sciences are housed, the more I enjoyed it. That’s where it clicked for me and I switched my major from History to Geography – Resources and Environmental Studies with a minor in History. I did field work in the San Marcos River, analyzed large data sets for water quality, environmental health, soils, you name it. I learned so much about human interactions with the environment that I was continuously fascinated and still wanted to teach others about their environment.

As a child I was always outside exploring and observing nature. Our parents always took us to outdoor places, I loved hiking, camping, fishing, rock hunting, gardening, all the things! I really should have known this is where I belonged, I just didn’t see myself as a “science” person because it wasn’t my strongest subject in grade school.

I chose to focus on water resources because of how important it is to our world and have been an informal science teacher working for places like the EAA!