A Full Circle Moment, But Make It a Heart <3
A summer of science, advocacy, mentorship, community, and a lot of full circle moments with a full heart. From a new article connecting my bumblebee research to the fight against solitary confinement, to my mentees stepping into opportunities of their own, to preparing for graduate school and somehow finding time to throw a huge Trunk or Treat, this season has felt especially full circle.
UW Student Civic Leader: What If It Was Me?
To be awarded the UW President’s Student Civic Leadership Award in 2026, at a time that is consequential in ways that won’t be understood for decades to come, is not a role I take lightly. The award is more than a title, honor, or acknowledgment; It is a call to action in its own right and sets a bar for what types of action can be taken.
2025: A Year of Community, Connection, and Becoming
2025 was the year my life stopped being defined by what I survived and started being shaped by what I’m becoming — a scientist, a mentor, an advocate, and a community builder.
May Day 2025
Mayday, mayday, it’s feeling like an emergency.
It’s May Day 2025, International Workers’ Day. A Thursday, the busiest day of my week for a while now, as if any day has felt slow lately.
Earth Day 2025
This Earth Day, I leaned into my love of bridge-building and used the day as a moment of connection across science, community, and movement work.
Guest Speaking at UW HOPE
I had the honor of presenting my research and activism for UW HOPE, a student-led group advancing prison education, by giving my talk, “Investigating Social Isolation Through the Lens of Neuroethology and Social Justice.”