I was raised in the suburbs of Cincinnati Ohio until I moved to New York when I was seven years old.  I grew up in two vastly different places, with two vastly different types of people. However, that experience has given me the knowledge that despite our differences as people, community members, scientists, workers, and families. We have the same wants and needs, the same drives and passions as everyone else. As a queer person in STEM, I don't fit the mold of the traditional scientist. However, I also know that as a white person, I move through spaces with an inherent privilege. I aim to bring intersectionality into all of my work, as diversity is where the most fruitful endeavors spring from.