Biography

I was born a triplet alongside my two sisters. We grew up in a small town in northern New Jersey called Glen Ridge with our parents and a multitude of animals. Life in my house could get pretty hectic but I can't imagine having grown up any other way.

My uncle, a hydro-geologist, introduced me and my sisters to science at a very young age. Whenever he visited he brought sparkling new rocks for us to enjoy and play with. It always amazed me how our earth could create such beautiful objects. As I grew older we would talk about his research and different projects he was conducting at his university. Even though I couldn't understand everything he was saying I always wanted to learn more. My parents also encouraged my interest in science by supplying me with countless books, joining me outside late at night to look at the stars, and watching countless documentaries with me about our earth and universe.

My early interest in science led to science being my favorite subject in school. When we started to learn a new science topic I couldn't get enough of it. Countless times I would come home and regurgitate everything I had learned that day to my family over the dinner table whether they were actually interested or not. I first realized I wanted to pursue a career in science in 8th grade, when I took an earth science course. I adored earth science and for countless weeks would tell people what kind of clouds were in the sky and how they came to be. In 10th grade I had a similar experience with chemistry - I couldn't get enough of it. Then in my junior year I took my first physics class and knew that physics was something I could learn about forever. Now at the dinner table I was explaining what forces where acting on our chairs and why plates don't slide smoothly across the table. Physics challenged me to think differently about the world and to see the world in a mathematical light.

In high school, I played field hockey and rowed crew in the spring time. Despite their being very time consuming, I enjoyed these sports and learned a lot about time management and teamwork from them. Outside of school I am an avid reader, puzzle doer, and hiker. My bookshelves at home are crammed full with fiction books, Sudoku puzzles, cryptograms, and jigsaw puzzle boxes. One of the reasons why I enjoy science and math so much is that for me they are just like giant jigsaw puzzles waiting to be pieced together.

Currently I am a second semester sophomore here at Stony Brook as a physics major. I was worked in the LTC Spring 2014 which turned out to be a very interesting and worthwhile experience. That following summer I worked in the LTC doing my own project and being a mini-mentor to our highschool group.