I passionately believe that science is for everyone. Great scientists have learned information, techniques, and (most importantly) how to persevere. Anyone can learn new skills and dive into a new topic. Astronomy is an incredibly powerful way to show people the wonder of science with the immense beauty of the universe. I want to inspire people to think about how they can be a scientist in any STEM field that they are interested in. Outreach opens up the mind to new possibilities, and seeing role models allows someone to see themselves in that career too. As such, I look for ways to talk about my career journey and struggles with students and participate in events that showcase different STEM careers.

I believe academia can be a force for good in our world through providing science learning when it is otherwise inaccessible, recruiting people with diverse backgrounds to solve diverse problems, and establishing a base understanding of science and scientific literacy in the public. I am pursuing a scientific career, so academia will be my main sphere of influence. If I want to see academia accomplish these goals, then I have a part to play in this work. In this regard, I have created concrete plans and action steps that I have detailed below for the next several years of my career. I hold a postdoctoral position at the University of Texas at Austin, and my current career plan is to pursue a faculty position. At each position, I will better tailor these actions steps to the institute where I am located.

Postdoctoral Position at the University of Texas at Austin

1. Attend the astronomy department's E&I discussion events and reading group.
2. Invite women and minority speakers for colloquia and seminars. The APS has compiled speaker lists for this purpose.
3. Participate in the astronomy department's TAURUS summer research program as a mentor for undergraduates who are underrepresented minorities in astronomy.
4. Mentor undergraduate and graduate students.
5. Speak at the UT Austin Women in STEM career programming camps for high school students.
6. Volunteer at UT Austin STEM Girl Day.

Faculty Position

1. Continue participating in reading groups and discussions on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
2. Invite women and minority speakers for colloquia and seminars.
3. Participate in already established departmental or university outreach programs, taking on more of a leadership role.
4. Mentor undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
5. Serve on departmental committees and challenge biased policies.
6. Have extra credit assignments in courses for students to learn about the contributions from women and minorities to physics.
7. Remove my personal biases when hiring postdoctoral scholars (use a rubric and remove names from applications).
8. Attend teaching workshops to make sure I am setting up an inclusive and respectful classroom environment.