I came into this university freshman year to study Geography with a concentration focused in the growing field of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The faculty within the Geography Department are so knowledgeable and caring - they always go above and beyond. They encourage my peers and I to work hard and be conscious of the world around us.

Taking classes outside of my major and utilizing opportunities outside of the classroom has really helped shape my college career. I took a wonderful elective my freshman year called "Intro to Irish Political Ballads," taught by a professor from Ireland who came to Framingham State as a visiting lecturer. During the summer of 2018 I took a trip with the Geography Department to the Netherlands. This was my first time ever traveling outside the United States and the experience was so memorable that I would definitely do it all over again. Upon our return, I wrote a research paper on the advantages of civil hydro engineering in the Netherlands and how it has put the Dutch in a top position for water management globally.

Through my time at Framingham State I was able to gain the right credentials for an amazing internship at the Christa McAuliffe Center, which manages the on-campus Planetarium. This internship is funded by NASA's Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium. As an intern, I was tasked with integrating NASA Earth Science satellite data into the educational programming of the planetarium.