Greenhouse Facility Field Research
October 7, 2025 | Spent the afternoon at our campus Greenhouses and Growth Chambers, which are managed by Cornell's Agricultural Experiment Station and offer carefully controlled environments for complex and sensitive research projects.
I was working with Ph.D. researcher Timothy Mulderrig, a fellow team member from Dr. Mark Sorrells Small Grains Breeding and Genetics Lab. We were examining the various grain plantings to determine the most viable growth samples to be utilized for our research.
Waltzing the Night Away
October 5, 2025 | The DanceSport Ballroom and Latin Club at Cornell hosted a vampire-themed ball at the beautiful Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room and Terrace.
The event was open to the entire school community and featured numerous performances, waltz lessons, and ballroom dancing.
Reptile Training at the Sciencenter Museum
September 30, 2025 | Successfully completed my reptile training requirement for my volunteer position as the Future Science Leaders Program Assistant at the Sciencenter Museum in Ithaca, New York.
Now, I am able to be a guide in the Saltonstall Animal Room, educating the museum's visitors about the numerous habitats showcasing global biodiversity with a variety of exhibits of amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
Ag Day Fundraiser Hosted by Cornell's Alpha Zeta Chapter
September 26, 2025 | Tractors, cows, sheep, and horses... just your typical day on Cornell's Ag Quad!
The Cornell Chapter of Alpha Zeta, a co-ed, honors, social, and professional fraternity devoted to the advancement of agriculture and the life sciences, hosted its annual agriculture outreach event on the Ag Quad. It was a fundraiser for the Tompkins County 4-H, which serves over 4,000 young people aged 5 to 19 each year.
Small Grains Breeding and Genetics Lab Research
September 24, 2025 | Working early morning at one of Cornell's crop fields with Ph.D. researcher Miranda Penney, a fellow team member from Dr. Mark Sorrells' Small Grains Breeding and Genetics Lab.
I was assisting with the threshing of ancient grain varieties being studied in various ongoing research projects. During the threshing process, the stalks of the grains are separated from the straw and chaff, which are the inedible parts of the plant.
NSF Grant Team First Meeting
September 23, 2025 | The entire National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant Team connected via Zoom for our first general meeting to discuss the overall work plan, individual/group assignments, and the timetable for the deliverables outlined in our project.
As one of the three Co-Principal Investigators for the grant, I will assist the efforts of our team in conducting a study of programs operating at the intersection of out-of-school-time or afterschool STEM learning, teen leadership, and community engagement.
Earned the PADI Rescue Diver Certification
September 20, 2025 | Traveled from the main campus to nearby Cayuga Lake, where I joined six fellow classmates enrolled in Cornell's fall 2025 "Rescue Diver" course.
Over the course of five hours at the lake, our Scuba instructors had us individually perform numerous dives to demonstrate mastery of the required rescue and safety techniques necessary to earn our PADI Rescue Diver Certification.
Conducting Research in the Hydroponics Lab
September 10, 2025 | During my Hydroponic Food Crop Production and Management class, I examined the health of the lettuce growing in our laboratory.
These experiments provide hands-on experience in understanding the principles and practices of commercial hydroponic vegetable and herb production in controlled environment agriculture (CEA).
Earned the PADI Enriched Air Diver and Advanced Open Scuba Diver Certifications
August 3, 2025 | Over the summer, I successfully completed a required set of five skills-based scuba dives miles off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida, to obtain my PADI Enriched Air Diver and Advanced Open Scuba Diver certifications. During these dives, I saw a variety of marine life, including coral reefs, jellyfish, sea turtles, and a couple of nurse sharks.
Teaching STEAM Activities to Miami Youth in Summer Programs
June 20, 2025 | Selected by the Director at the Bezos Learning Center, Tina Menendez, Ed.D., to represent the organization during summer 2025 as a STEAM Youth Activities Community Facilitator. For my first assignment, I joined college student facilitators from Miami-Dade College at the Liberty City Reads Fest event, where we did STEAM activities with the youth in attendance.
Working with Miami Residents for Clean Local Waterways
June 8, 2025 | For summer 2025, I was hired by Miami Waterkeeper (MWK) to join their Education and Outreach team. My first assignment was to assist fellow MWK Education and Outreach team member Sophia Bond in leading a group of volunteers on a kayak cleanup to collect trash from islands in Biscayne Bay.
Transferring to Cornell University
May 30, 2025 | I am beyond thrilled to announce that I was accepted into Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) for the 2025-26 school year, where I will be majoring in Agricultural Sciences with a focus on Controlled Environment Agriculture.
