Why did I choose my major?
This is one of my favorite questions that people ask me! I originally came to IU as a physics
major but soon realized I liked the theory aspect more than the math so I then switched to philosophy. While
I found this very interesting and something I am passionate about it felt limiting in the job world as my
only real prospects would be teaching or law school. I then asked my advisor how I could combine my love for
STEM related fields with a more overarching view and she recommended this completely new major. The year I
joined was the first year someone graduated with it at IU.
What was one of your biggest accomplishment?
I would have to say summitting Castle Crag in Montana last summer. It was about a 20 mile
roundtrip hike and over a mile and a half in elevation gain. We got to the base of the peak our first day,
the second day was summit day. On our summit day we packed up camp and started on our, at times, near
vertical ascent. When we got to the ridgeline we had to do a combination of climb over and jump from boulder
to boulder. Because of how remote where we were combined with as high up as we were, one slip up, even
something as trivial as a broken ankle, and you're dead. Bear food. You could see back through the Fred Burr
Wilderness which just keeps going an going for another couple of hundred miles. Really makes you wonder
about what's out there yet to be discovered. As we get closer and closer to what we thought was our final
approach our exhausted minds and bodies start to perk up and come back to life. What we didn't realize was
this “peak” was actually a false peak, meaning we still had longer to go. The actual final ascent is similar
to the ridgeline, just a quite a bit steeper. Our exhausted bodies keep going out of sheer willpower alone.
But we finally make it. We reach the peak. A 360 degree view of some of the most remote land in the lower
48, above the lakes, the rivers, the mountains, there we stood. Sun beaming down on us. Wind howling past
us. Huge grin plastered across my face. I made it, we made it.
What was a time I showed perseverance in the face of adversity?
Throughout my life I've faced setbacks, both at school as well as in my personal life and
living with a mental disability certainly hasn't made it any easier. A major setback I faced was during my
sophomore year of college, amidst the pandemic. I made the fiscally responsible decision to stay home and
help my parents' struggling small business. During this time my grades dropped, switching from an above
average student to landing on academic probation. I was angry to say the least. Being someone who already
struggles learning at school, I found it excruciatingly difficult to learn in an environment not best suited
for my success. I got into a rut and wanted to blame everyone but myself. I used all this as an excuse
without ever once looking internally. Since then I have been able to get my academic career back on track
through a shift in mindset. I stopped making excuses and took accountability. I did the difficult work (both
mentally and academically) that needed to be done and I saw the results.
