I am native of Mobile, Alabama, and in 2018 I received my bachelor's degree from UA in International Studies with a focus on Latin America and a minor in Spanish. Immediately after graduating, I moved to Bogotá, Colombia, where I worked with youth teaching English while actively participating in community development projects in an urban setting. I initially wanted to be a physician, but after attending a medical science program at Brown University, I realized that my true passion wasn't medicine. So I decided to come home and pursue a degree in anthropology. Going in, I knew that I wanted my research to be on my former students in Bogotá and the community that we shared. I was fascinated watching them define their identities for the first time as they became teenagers and young adults. As a result, my research interests include youth, development, mental health, and body image. I am an MA student as well as a part of the dual degree MPH program. I am passionate about applied anthropology and how anthropology can be used to better our world and institutions.