Describe the first time you felt a strong affinity for nature? 

I grew up in a small suburb of Little Rock, Arkansas where I enjoyed exploring park trails and catching minnows from the lake. But even though I was landlocked, I fell in love with the ocean at an early age and wanted to become a marine biologist. As a chemistry-major in college, I was excited by opportunities to collect water samples from nearby ponds or streams to bring back to the lab for analysis. In graduate school, I was finally able to study the ocean and it's role in the Earth's system, and I went on several research cruises to sample waters from faraway oceans. Yet the times when I stopped what I was doing and paid attention to the nature surrounding my own backyard were the most impactful. 

Describe a time you participated at a Sierra Club event? What did you do and what motivated you to participate?

I moved to Houston recently for a fellowship and discovered the Sierra Club through their Climate Change Reading Group. So far, it has been a great way to meet people who were interested in climate change and the environment, both personally and professionally. 

What kind of activity or activities would you like to see the Houston Sierra Club to do more of and why?

Since I still consider myself new to Houston, I would like to see more local excursions to learn more about the bayou and watershed systems. I hope we could also participate in many of the local environmental activities (such as clean ups or work days) as a Houston Sierra Club Team.  I think we should also continue to rotate a monthly reading group as a way to explore different environmental and climate change topics. 

What environmental message do you have for young people?

We have to be better stewards of this one planet that we all share. Stay true to your strengths. Try to use those strengths to make the world a better place than how you found it.