Durango, Colorado, United States
QuestBridge National College Match Scholar to Caltech ’26 Interested in mining waste management and the policy side of geology and mining, with a focus on practical outcomes and strong community engagement. Outside of geology, I’m a trail runner and planning to complete my first ultra later this year...or an Ironman in the near future. Trail running keeps me curious, resilient, and comfortable thinking in the long run, and are traits I try to bring into my academic and professional work.
Assisted with interpretation of major and trace element fingerprints and HFSE ratios to separate basaltic vs siliciclastic components in ejecta materials, supporting geochemical constraints on the Bolaven Plateau impact crater hypothesis Prepared 30+ rock samples from Laos by pulverizing and homogenizing specimens, weighing portions and produced lithium-borate fused glass beads for major element characterization (XRF) Produced powder mounts for XRD mineral phase compositions & pressed discs for LA-ICP-MS trace element analysis
Supported a cohort of ~40 incoming students as one of 6 mentors by planning community-building events, leading weekly 1:1 progress check-ins, and mediating cohort issues to keep projects and relationships on track
Expedited order modifications by communicating directly with kitchen staff resulting in reduction of food waste by ~5% from incorrect/modified orders and minimizing mistakes with efficient handling of POS Earned Employee of the Month within the first month and again for sustained performance
Assumed lead responsibility for the 5th–6th grade cohort after the previous instructor’s departure. Supported 9–10 students in completing daily homework accurately and strengthening understanding of core school subjects. Graded and provided feedback on Neo-specific accelerated coursework, including grade-level advancement (1–2 grades ahead). Collaborated with staff and periodically assisted with instruction and homework support for 7th–8th grade students.
Adapted MATLAB scripts to convert acceleration recordings into fault parallel and fault normal velocity time histories Extracted peak ground velocities across near vs far fault stations and generated station location and time history visualizations supporting near-fault ground motion model (GMM) development for the Reykjanes peninsula