About Me
Born February 22, 1989, I was raised in the small town of Hartford, Wisconsin. From an early age I became concerned about the state of our environment, and wished to make a positive impact in the world. I spent my days outdoors imagining wild inventions that would save the human race from its destructive fate.
Upon graduating high school, I had little sense of direction. I enrolled at Northland College, a private environmental liberal arts college in Ashland, Wisconsin. I chose to pursue a double major in Chemistry and Environmental Science, with a minor in Sustainable Systems.
After a few semesters I realized that I wanted to be more instrumental in the design and implementation of systems and decided to withdraw from Northland College so I could pursue a degree in engineering. I was accepted to HSU's Environmental Resources Engineering program in Fall 2010 and plan to graduate by 2013.
I enjoy spending my free time outdoors, whether kayaking, canoeing, backpacking, or rockclimbing. I am especially fond of snow and love to downhill ski. I am also an avid music listener and somewhat competent musician. Drums are my forte, but I also play piano, guitar, ukulele, and didgeridoo.
Employment History
- July 2004-August 2007: Sales associate at RadioShack. Duties included sales, troubleshooting, customer service, electronics repair, and occasionally installation of electronics equipment.
- September 2007-May 2008: Receptionist at the Northland College Information Desk. Duties included transferring phone calls, directing visitors, and setup for events at the Ponzio Campus Center.
- June 2008-December 2008: Student worker at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute (SOEI) in Ashland, WI. Duties included GPS fieldwork, GIS, native landscaping, invasive plant control and ecosystem restoration, and well monitoring.
- February 2009-July 2010: Crew member at McDonalds. Duties included maintenance of machinery and cooking.
Volunteerism and Service Learning
Volunteering has always been a part of my life and I have been involved in many "service learning" projects throughout my education, including:
- Summer 2001-2006: Worked with Group Workcamps Foundation repairing homes for low-income families.
- May 2008: Complete installation of single-tracking photovoltaic array at the home of Northland College's president.
- June 2008: Construction of the foundation and walls of a home for a family in Siguetepeque, Honduras through Habitat for Humanity International. The remainder of the house was completed by a later group of volunteers.
- Fall 2008: Design of recycling bins for the Ashland, WI Parks and Recreation Department. The project was a part of an Introduction to Sustainability at Northland College
- Fall 2010: Design and construction of "Pain in the Axle," a pedal-powered generator that will be placed in the Samoa Hostel. The project was a part of ENGR 215, Introduction to Design at HSU.