Background -where are you from and where did you study?
I'm originally from Belleville, Illinois, which is just a small drive east of St. Louis however I've lived over half of my life in Summerville, South Carolina. I recently graduated from the College of Charleston with a B.S. in Anthropology & a B.A. in Biology, as well as minors in Linguistics and Environmental Studies & Sustainability.

How about any hobbies or favorite things to do?
I really enjoy spending my free time cooking, practicing photography, and trying to learn languages although I'm not fluent in any yet. I especially love playing rugby and hiking, with my two favorite places to hike being Francis Beidler Forest and Congaree National Park!

What got you interested in birds?
Growing up, my grandfather regularly shared his knowledge of birds with me as we watched multiple species migrate across the Midwest. As we hiked through state parks and we watched birds fly past the front porch we would do our best to identify them and guess where they were flying, which instilled a love for birds in me from a young age.

Do you have a spark bird story?
I'd say my spark bird story is from my time working at the South Carolina Aquarium during high school, when I got stationed in front of Alabaster the albino american alligator and right across from Phoenix, the American Kestrel, who's definitely my spark bird. Phoenix lives at the SC Aquarium due to injuries to her talons but she's as fierce and stunning as ever. She's also ridiculously adorable! My time at the aquarium gave me the chance to appreciate such an impressive bird and started my love and appreciation for avifauna.