I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology. Growing up, I was continually exposed to the agricultural community as well as research in modern science which sparked a deep interest in agricultural systems. Previously, I was a summer intern in the laboratory of Dr. Klaas van Wijk, Department of Plant Biology at Cornell University. My project in the van Wijk lab sought to resolve the function of four novel proteins found in the plastoglobule of Arabidopsis thaliana. During a ten week internship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, I worked with Dr. Steve Baenziger on a project to evaluate the efficacy of the Clearfield wheat breeding program. I am currently researching the genotype-phenotype association of an important root trait in the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under the tutelage of Dr. Anna Savage, Department of Biology at the University of Central Florida, and Dr John Hart, Earthwork Seeds Inc. I will pursue a Ph.D. in plant breeding and will continue research and development efforts in the plant breeding field for small female farmers across the globe.