Though I was born in Canada, I now call Australia home. My fascination with sea turtles first brought me to Melbourne back in 2015 where I was chasing the dream to work with these gentle giants. That pursuit led me far beyond what I had imagined, taking me into remote regions of Australia, as well as the Middle East and the Pacific.

Reflecting on it now, I probably should have seen this coming. In Grade 8, I received a medal for being the top student in my geography class. I found this slightly embarrassing at the time, largely because I did not really understand how geography was important in our lives. The irony is not lost on me now.

Geography has since become central to how I make sense of the world. It is far more than points on a map; it is fundamentally about the concept of place—the stories it holds, the people it brings together, and the memories it shapes. A place shapes who we are and how we see the world around us.

Today, this fuels my interdisciplinary work at the intersection of marine science and the human dimension in conservation. With over seven years of experience working across research, environmental consultancy, and visual communication, I am driven by a desire to understand social-ecological systems- the dynamic relationships between people and nature and how human values shape conservation outcomes, just as conservation can shape community futures.