Biography


I am a proud Long Island native who was born in Port Jefferson in the summer of 1993. From what I recall from my childhood, I was always a happy young girl. My parents supported anything I desired to do in life, even if it sounded too ridiculous. I was always the athletic type and played as many sports as possible at an early age. I participated in softball, soccer, roller hockey, lacrosse, track, field hockey, and many other activities that required a love for the active lifestyle. It seemed that even from a young age I was preparing myself to be as dynamic as possible in life.

I can say the same for my academic life. I have a high standard for myself and expect the most out of my studies and education. Throughout elementary and middle school I found myself achieving the highest grades possible for a student and furthered my efforts in high school. In high school I continued to build up my workload in order to achieve a certain satisfaction in my education. I loved learning and I still do. My courses consisted of honors and AP level work and mandated vigorous attention. I could never turn my back on studying or school not only because I would fall behind, but also because my heart and soul would not let me. My parents often comforted me when I was too stressed out about school work, yet I still continued to push myself.

While exploring different subjects in my high school career, I found myself gravitating towards mathematics and the sciences. I joined several clubs such as Science Olympiad and also involved myself in Science Research. Through these specific clubs and classes I was able discover the scientific method, reasoning, and experimentation. I did not know exactly what I wanted to do with math and science until my 11th grade AP Physics class. Physics involved using mathematics to explain the world around me and from then on I was hooked. My teacher was a young man who was fairly new to teaching, yet his explanations and teaching methods were inspirational. I went on take AP Physics C with another excellent teacher. He was fun-loving and also fairly young; therefore I found an instant connection with his methods. My two physics teachers were the spark for my love of physics and science, and I am really grateful. My mathematics teacher also advanced my knowledge in the connection between calculus and physics, and without his curriculum I would be at a loss.

As I mentioned before I played a lot of sports in my life, but none were as life changing as my experience with field hockey. Honestly, field hockey left me exhausted and was similar to a catharsis every time I played. The workouts were intense and I learned discipline and cooperation. I believe without discipline and teamwork a person cannot accomplish anything. I know now that research is impossible without these two attributes.

Stony Brook is truly my dream school; this was the only school I saw myself attending. With my acceptance into the WISE program, I knew I was in for one fun and maybe bumpy ride. I am currently a freshman and am starting my second semester. I am also in Honors Physics and multivariable calculus and I am majoring in physics. I was interested in optics ever since my 11th grade physics class and won an award in the optics section in the Science Olympiad competition. I came into contact with Dr. Noe when he recommended taking Honors Physics, and I met him through a tour of the Laser Learning Center in my ITS 101 class. At that time I was studying optics by myself and taking notes diligently. No, that doesn’t make me an expert, but I am ready to start becoming one!