I am currently a fourth year PhD candidate in Computer Science at Clemson University. As a researcher, I have worked on interdisciplinary projects that cover character animation, machine learning, and human perception

As a first generation college student, I have experienced social and financial struggles throughout my academic career. From my own experiences and the experiences of others, I learned that many challenges remain in making American higher education accessible and welcoming to people from less advantaged backgrounds. This has inspired me to get involved in encouraging other underrepresented students to pursue higher education.  To this end, I have volunteered several times in Clemson's STEM All-In program, an initiative for increasing diversity in STEM related graduate education.