I chose my major because I loved buildings and their construction process and I wanted to learn how to make the design and construction of structures more sustainable.

When I graduate, I plan on getting an engineering job in a firm that prioritizes sustainability in its projects.

When thinking long term, I have the goal of coming back to school and getting a master’s in urban planning to become a city planner or work for a company that does large-scale urban planning. This is related to my short-term work goals because city design plays a major role in how sustainable an urban environment can actually be.

When I am not studying, I often find myself climbing around Austin with the UT climbing team or riding around Austin on my motorcycle. During the week, I work at the Pickle Research Campus studying concrete’s strengths under various conditions and mixes. I also work at the gyms on campus.

I am a part of the Negative Emissions Technology (NET) student organization, we learn about many different technologies and approaches to reducing carbon levels from the atmosphere. I am also in the Texas Rock Climbing (TRC) team, I am passionate about this organization because I discovered climbing during quarantine and it has helped keep me grounded amid the turmoil of the pandemic.

For potential applicants, I would say to put yourself out there as much as possible. There are a million things you can do in college and many of them will not be your thing, but if you dip your toes into enough of them, you likely will surprise yourself and find a passion and group of people you would never have considered otherwise.