In first grade, we had a dress-up career day. “Dream big”, we were told, “because we could be anything we put our minds to”, you know, all that stuff that gets a six-year-old really excited. So, as a really excited six-year-old, I walked into a classroom full of firefighters and soccer players dressed in khakis and a blue oxford shirt. When I could be anything at all, I chose to be a computer programmer. Because I wanted to solve big, important problems with technology. It was my dream. And it still is.

This dream hasn't just persisted; it has evolved and expanded, leading me to a specific area of interest: economics. My focus is on unraveling the complexities of the global economy, utilizing computational methods to address the most critical financial issues affecting our global society.

My goal is to innovate, be it through crafting efficient trading systems that democratize financial markets by motivating liquidity and lowering barriers to entry or by developing blockchain solutions that empower those marginalized from traditional financial systems. Technology can change our economy, and the world for the better and I want to be a part of that change.

But for me, the next step in this journey to solve these big, important problems is to get to a point where I know enough to be on the cutting edge of my field. That is why I am pursuing a BS in Computer Science and Mathematics and a BA in Economics at the University of Cincinnati. As well as a Masters of Engineering in Artificial Intelligence through UC’s ACCEND program. But even further than my formal education, I am committed to growing my knowledge and expertise throughout these next few years through internships and research.

As I continue my journey, I remain guided by the same principle that excited a six-year-old in khakis and a blue oxford shirt: to dream big and use technology to create a better, more equitable world.