I grew up in rural Virginia close to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and chose to go to college at Virginia Tech in Appalachia. The mountains have always been a constant in my life and I've grown to love everything about this environment. I feel lucky to have grown up in a place that sees all four seasons and the changing of the leaves. I spent lots of time outside as a kid exploring, climbing trees and camping. I find solace in nature so it has been a lifelong comfort. It is my hope that every child can enjoy the outdoors as I have.

Throughout my high school career I worked on my school's newspaper staff as well as for the local newspaper. I found a niche that I felt I could flourish in. Being in a position where I can make smaller voices heard was an incredibly important role to me. I worked on many projects and stories and found a love for activism. For the same reasons I have applied for a study abroad program in New Zealand for winter 2021-2022 that focuses on environmental studies and human societies I am excited to have the opportunity to be part of something that will have a lasting effect on myself and how I view the world around me.

Storytelling is important because of how it can affect how the story is perceived. No one wants to listen to a boring story, so how the story is told, written, narrated, can peak or lose interest in the topic. Storytelling is a perfect place for creativity. It can be a place to express new ideas and ways to gain interest in stories. The creativity is not only in the writing, but the telling - and a new approach to both can change the impact of any story.