Where did you graduate from? Major/minor and why?

I graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering (2021) and Beloit College with a B.A. in Applied Chemistry with a Minor in Dance (2019).

I have a complex education background for a few reasons, the main ones being:

1. The 3-2 dual degree program sparked my interest because it gives you the opportunity to learn from a liberal arts and an engineering perspective. 

2. I knew I wanted to be an engineer when I was in elementary school, but when I took chemistry at Parish and fell in love with the subject, I knew that I wanted to major in chemical engineering. 

3. I chose WashU and Beloit because it gave me a lot of options. I saw the opportunity to continue playing lacrosse, minor in dance, all while earning degrees in the fields I love!

Position/Company you are currently employed?

I currently work at Johnson and Johnson Medtech as a Quality Systems Engineer. I specifically work within the Robotics and Digital Solutions division on a surgical robot that is soon to be released. My favorite part about my job is being able to be a part of the labs and getting hands-on interaction with our product! I mean who wouldn't want to play with robots? 

Favorite memory at Parish?

During senior year, Parish formed a women's lacrosse team and this was exciting because I had been playing with my city's team all of high school. So playing for Parish was a memorable season and it was fun introducing the sport to peers who had never played before.

Biggest accomplishment so far in your career?

Some would say presenting research at a conference and placing 2nd in the Biomedical Engineering category is a big accomplishment. I'd say it's my ~biggest~ accomplishment because I didn't know it was a competition until 10 minutes before I presented. 

Biggest lesson learned to date in your career?

Wow this is hard because I have learned so many big lessons! One of them is definitely to pay more attention to the guidelines for research conferences (especially if I am presenting). While another is to not let high pressure situations (such as a competition) affect my performance and to stay true to myself :)

You can’t live without your?

Faith, Family, Friends, and Dance!

What do you miss most about Parish?

Going to dance class in the middle of the day multiple times in the week. Not only was it a much-needed break from schoolwork, but those were the times when I had my happiest moments at Parish. 

Would you like to give a shout out to a former Parish faculty/staff member?

Jessica Robinson!! She was always so supportive of me and encouraged me to be the best dancer I could be. She also inspired me to keep dance in my life after high school which is one of the best decisions I've made for my physical and mental well-being!