Hello! Thanks for Stopping By!

To begin, my love for wildlife—and my deep infatuation with the ocean—has been with me for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the land-locked state of Utah, but before I was even a year old, my mom took me to Monterey Bay and Hawaii. She swears she accidentally imprinted the ocean onto me, and honestly…I agree. When I was four, Keiko—the orca from Free Willy—was released back into the wild, and I watched his live updates every afternoon when I came home from preschool. I still remember the day I came home at age five and my mom gently told me he had passed away. At six years old, I told her on video that when I grew up, I wanted to be “a person who studies animals in the ocean and the sea.” By eight, I had a whole collection of stuffed orcas…all of them named Keiko. In high school, I was teased for being the tree-hugging “Save the Whales” girl, but I embraced it wholeheartedly. Determined to pursue marine biology, I attended two different high schools during my junior year just to take a marine biology class that wasn’t offered at my own. I also volunteered at my local aquarium throughout my senior year.

Bachelor's Degree: After graduating high school, I moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, where I earned my B.S. in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences with a minor in Marine Biology. For my senior research thesis, I interned with NOAA and worked on a project in collaboration with Washington State University, using zebrafish embryo screening to evaluate bioretention methods for removing toxics from stormwater. During my studies, I volunteered in the Friedman Lab analyzing oyster seed imagery, served as a College of the Environment Student Ambassador, tutored for the Pipeline Project, and helped propose a general education sustainability requirement as part of the Sustainability Credit Coalition. I also had the opportunity to join the UW Fisheries Research Institute’s Alaska Salmon Program, studying sockeye salmon in the Lake Aleknagik and Lake Nerka watershed, and later spent a quarter at Friday Harbor Labs researching sediment preferences of juvenile big skates (Beringraja binoculata) from the Salish Sea.

Through these experiences, I discovered that my true passion wasn’t just analyzing data—it was connecting with people and teaching them about the ocean and conservation. 

COVID-19 Pandemic: My senior year ended in 2020, right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. I returned to Utah to be close to family and worked that summer as a fisheries field and lab technician with Utah State University (Bivens K, Walsworth TE, and Landom K. 2021. Review of juvenile common carp biology and ecology to inform control effort design in Utah Lake).

Shortly after, I became a high school science teacher, teaching biology, environmental science, and astronomy to 10th–12th graders, and starting a student-led environmental club during the 2020–2022 school years. But my heart was still with the ocean.

Since then, I’ve obtained additional training and certifications, including PADI Open Water Diver and several maritime credentials such as STCW Basic Training (Medical Emergencies at Sea; Basic Fire Fighting; Personal Survival Techniques; Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities), STCW Crowd Management, and STCW Crisis Management and Human Behavior.

My Goal:

As a marine naturalist, I’m passionate about turning science into storytelling. I love helping people connect with individual whales: learning their names, their families, their histories, and what makes each one unique. When I photograph them, I aim to capture not just the moment, but the essence of who they are—their beauty, power, and intelligence. My hope is that by sharing these images, I can inspire others to care about the ocean and the animals who call it home. I want to reach the little kids across the country (and across the world) who feel that same spark I did growing up—those who may someday become the next generation of scientists, conservationists, photographers, or simply people who deeply love nature. Every photo I take is an invitation: to feel connected, to feel inspired, and to help protect the wildlife that continues to shape my life.