In my youth, I was dedicated to gymnastics and pursued it at an elite level. As I grew older, my brain began to comprehend the physical risks involved…this realization led me to ballet, which allowed me to combine my love for music and athleticism. I spent my teenage years training rigorously in ballet which eventually led to a professional career. Despite being an introvert, I always loved performing on stage.

Because ballet was my profession for a period of time, it took time to reframe it as a "hobby." Over the last decade, I’ve found fulfillment in teaching teens and adults. When my children are old enough, I would love to expose them to ballet.

Outside of dance, I’ve always been drawn to visual storytelling. I enjoy digitizing 35mm film, negatives, and VHS, and editing home videos. These projects aren't for social media, but rather to preserve memories for my family. This interest carries over into my professional life as a scientist in the field of spatial transcriptomics. Much of my work involves translating complex data into intuitive, visually pleasing figures for manuscripts, presentations, and marketing material.

There are a few passions currently on the "back burner". I grew up playing piano and can still pick up most sheet music and sight-read, although my technique is crappy. I always wanted to learn music theory as well. I have dabbled in paper crafts such as origami and quilling because I like the tactile experience and spatial logic. Cooking is also something I used to enjoy but haven’t reignited the spark. After 15 years in biology labs, I’ve found that laboratory experimentation closely mirrors the art of cooking so the kitchen began to feel like work.

Children also have a way of exposing us to new experiences and hobbies so I am excited to find out what I will learn from them in the future.