Originally from La Crescent, Minnesota, a small town nestled alongside the Mississippi River. Growing up I spent my time outside school in the woods, on the water, or at the local hardware store where I worked. In my academics, I enjoyed the sciences and mathematics and also enjoyed the industrial arts such as woodworking, metalworking, and other trades. My combined interests lead me to study engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where I received my bachelor’s in December 2019. During my undergraduate studies I had multiple opportunities to work in plasma science, which I quickly discovered to be a rich blend of engineering, physics, and chemistry.