Degrees: B.S. in Environmental Engineering, Minor in Spanish Minor, International Plan Certificate with Language Proficiency
How did the Stamps Scholarship help shape your undergraduate experience?
The Stamps Scholarship gave me incredible freedom to pursue my passions without financial stress. I was able to explore different perspectives, cultures, and organizations and adapt my career goals based on each new discovery about myself. My undergraduate experience would not have been as flexible and fulfilling without the scholarship and community. The community of scholars also pushed me to continually reflect on what I wanted to achieve, become, and give back for the great investment from Roe and Penny Stamps.
Tell us a piece of wisdom you’ve learned over the past four years.
I’ve learned that being thankful everyday is a powerful tool that can dramatically shape the outcome of your day and your relationships with others.
Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your college career and how so?
Chaffee Viets, the Director of the Stamps President’s Scholars Program at GT, had the greatest impact on me throughout my college career. I learned from him early in my college career the importance of taking initiative, which led me to many incredible opportunities that I may not have experienced otherwise. He also served as a great mentor and a consistent source of support.
What’s your favorite Stamps Scholar memory?
My favorite Stamps Scholar memory was the outdoor survival trip with my incoming Stamps Scholar class in the Minnesota Boundary Waters. The trip prepared me mentally for Georgia Tech and began some of my closest friendships. There was a day of high winds that challenged us physically beyond anything that I have ever experienced, and I was both exhausted and discouraged. The very next day, I was singing loudly and off-key with Pranaya Chilukuri, a fellow Stamps Scholar, while paddling. This contrast between low moments of struggle and high moments of great joy was common during my time at Georgia Tech, and I often thought back to the trip in Minnesota for encouragement or a good laugh.
What comes next?
I’m starting my journey to become a licensed environmental/civil engineer with McKim and Creed in Raleigh, NC. I plan to continue to develop my Spanish language skills, volunteer for a cause that is important to me, backpack whenever possible, and make living sustainably a priority in my next phase of life.
Please share your favorite inspirational quote.
“Use what talents you possess, the woods will be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” – Henry van Dyke