When I was in 7th grade, I started participating in competitive robotics. I realized early on that competitive robotics was something I wanted to do for a long time. I participated in FIRST LEGO League on team Nerdvana, FIRST Tech Challenge with Nerdvana, Clockwork Mania, and Hazmat Robotics, and FIRST Robotics Compeititon with Clockwork Mania and Exploding Bacon. Late in high school I found my love for working with youth, so I decided to continue in the competitive robotics community as a coach and mentor to multiple teams throughout college and beyond.
In 2019, Exploding Bacon received the highest award a team can win (at the world championship level, no less). Having been with that team for so long, it was great to see them win such an honor!
Every winter when I was in middle and high school, I loved going ice skating at Light Up UCF. As an adult, I realized that we have a year-round ice rink in Orlando, and started taking ice skating lessons. I'm not great at it, but that's okay! It's still one of my favorite things to do.
When I was a kid, my family liked to take cruise vacations. Typically, we went on Disney Cruise Line. One day in the teen club, one of the activities was "learn to DJ" with one of the DJs from the ship. I thought DJing was so cool, and started practicing on my own as soon as I got home. Later that summer, I DJ'd a friend's 13th birthday party, and knew this was something I wanted to keep doing. I bought equipment, and started learning and practicing even more. Through my teens, I DJ'd for camp and school dances, and even now as an adult, I DJ a few times a year for parties, events, and school dances.
