About Me!
My Academic Journey
I am currently an undergraduate student studying Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
In Fall of 2022, I graduated from LSU with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, a composite field which blends political science, cultural study, history, and more. My original aim was to continue to law school after receiving this degree, but towards the end of my studies, I felt an overwhelming pull to pursue a course of study and future career in engineering and applied physics.
This unique amalgamation of coursework has equipped me with not only the technical skills required for a future career in engineering, but also a crucial cultural understanding that is necessary to thriving in our increasingly globalised world, which can be often overlooked in traditional STEM degrees.
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My Future Goals & Aspirations
​​My immediate plan after graduation is to commission into the US Navy as a Nuclear Officer, whose job it is to oversee the complex reactor plants which propel the vessels of the nuclear navy, namely aircraft carriers and submarines. The Navy's nuclear training pipeline is widely recognized as one of the most rigorous and demanding programs the service offers, providing graduate-level instruction in nuclear physics comparable to that of leading institutions such as Caltech and MIT.
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I also aspire to pursue graduate education in engineering in the future, with the long-term objective of conducting research in propulsion and materials science that advances more sustainable methods of transportation.
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My Background
I was born and raised in the bayous of Southeast Louisiana. My family has lived in this area for centuries, since Le Grand Dérangement. Growing up Cajun, you are told firsthand the consequences suffered by those who didn't communicate in a way deemed "acceptable". Over the course of the 20th century, generations of my family were forced to abandon their native language due to cultural homogenization, bad public policy, and social stigma. This history left an absence in me that was once integral to my family's cultural identity, and as a result instilled in me an understanding of the importance of respecting and protecting the ways people communicate, even if they differ from my own. Currently, I am attempting to teach myself the Cajun French of my ancestors so that I may preserve it for my future children, and address, in some small part, the cultural erosion of the past.
The magnolia, forever my favourite flower, adorns the top and bottom of my page in honour of my strong South Louisiana ties.
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Click the button below to read an article by an LSU political science PhD alumna which speaks more about the struggles endured by Louisiana's Cajun culture.
