I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan during a time when the Pistons, Lions, Tigers,
and Red Wings were all playoff teams. In 1992 when Hurricane Andrew struck the U.S., I became fascinated by weather phenomena, particularly
tropical storms. I had excellent math and science teachers
during my years at Bates Academy and Renaissance High
School. They introduced me to the Academic Games program, a program that I often credit for teaching me a wide
variety of skills. In 2003, my chance to formally learn about the weather arrived when I took an introductory course taught by Ronald Smith
at Yale University. Soon after, I joined the SOARS program, launching my career in the atmospheric sciences. A childhood dream was
fulfilled in February 2006 when I toured The Weather Channel studios. In May 2006, I graduated from Yale with a B.S. in Geology & Geophysics
and matriculated to the University of Washington. I am fortunate to have my work be one of my lifelong interests. But, if I weren't a
hardworking graduate student, I would probably be one of the following: