I was born and raised in Shelton, Connecticut, as a first-generation family member of the United States to parents from Peru and Puerto Rico. I attended St. John’s University in New York City where I became fascinated with salt marshes and wetland ecology. I graduated from St. John's University in 2018 with a degree in Environmental Studies (B.S.) and I began my masters program that same year at the University of New Haven. In 2020, I received my masters degree in Environmental Science with GIS applications as I successfully defended my master's thesis on sea level rise and it’s impacts on local mussel populations (Geukensia demissa) and their distribution on salt marsh habitats. 

After completing my masters, I began working as an adjunct professor for multiple schools as I was passionate about educating and communicating science to others while working as a forester for the State of Connecticut. Although I enjoyed my jobs, it was clear that I needed to take an extra step in my education if I wanted to seek a career in science, which made me pursue a PhD. 

In 2022, I was accepted into Vanderbilt University's Earth and Environmental Science program, with a concentration on Paleoecology under Dr. Simon Darroch and Dr. Steve Goodbred Jr. My dissertation is focused on exploring the temporal and spatial macroevolutionary patterns of mussels through deep time.

In my free time, I spend time outdoors doing activities like camping, hiking, fly-fishing, climbing and kayaking. I'm also an avid drawer and painter. I consider myself to be a friendly and extroverted individual, who enjoys interacting with all members of my current department. I am proud of where I come from and passionate about my research and my current position at Vanderbilt University as I continue to work with great people!