I am a first-generation college student in my 4th year of my Ph.D. in the department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, where I also serve as a peer mentor. My passion is neuroscience, which stems from my background as a clinical psychotherapist and my love for biological sciences. As an avid member of the BEST program, I plan to take the skills obtained during my time here to pursue a career in Science Policy, Advocacy, and Communication. In my free time, I enjoy participating with the Fall Into Science club, which aims to expose elementary school children to a diverse group of scientists and research areas. My primary goal is to be the face of diversity in science so children no longer have a specific stereotype of what a scientist looks like. While working with young students I enjoy being able to explain complex scientific ideas in a way that children can understand and be excited about. I also served as a member of the Graduate and Professional Student Mental Health Committee where I worked on identifying the needs of other students and planning programs to teach resilience and stress reduction.