About me

It started with people I knew.

At lunch, my friend and I started inviting people who seemed to be hovering around to sit with us. Over time, those invitations became our friend group. I knew what it felt like to hesitate before joining in, and I started paying more attention to the people waiting for someone else to make the first move.

That feeling also became personal in tenth grade. After a relationship ended, I felt alone and wondered whether other teenagers felt the same way. I wanted to understand how relationships, social media, and the pressure to fit in could affect our sense of belonging.

My questions grew from there. Fencing and coaching connected me to exercise. Cooking and baking gave me a way to explore hands-on activities and stress. I became curious about caffeine, prescribed Adderall and nonmedical use, and how the environment at home matters beyond a family’s label. My volunteering also made me wonder how meaningful responsibilities relate to mental health later in life.

Caregiving and my selective-mutism capstone pushed me to think about needs people cannot always put into words. Through Stop The Stress, I could do something practical: offer a seat, put out art supplies, and give students a reason to spend time together without having to explain themselves first.

I created this website so my papers would have that context. They come from questions I am still working through, alongside my experiences at school, at home, and in my community.