Young women constitute 50% of secondary-school physics students, where they perform demonstrably well in Advanced Placement testing, yet only 21% of physics BSc. recipients are women. From here, women in physics represent 20% of the PhD recipients and 16% of the faculty at research universities. These are the statistics that I have directly impacted my career path, however, those for many other underrepresented groups in science are even more dismal.

Being a woman in physics does not resolve these problems; the solution requires an active commitment to creating an aware, inclusive, and encouraging academic environment. This has motivated me to contribute in the following ways:

• UF representative & closing remarks speaker for the 2020 APS Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP)
• Co-founder & mentor for the UF Physics Graduate Student Mentoring Program
• Participant in UFs Physics Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (Physics IDEA)
• Volunteer high-school science fair judge
• Artist of promotional artwork used for UF Astronomy Department fliers

These contributions led to me receiving the Association for Academic Women’s (AAW) Emerging STEM Scholar Award last year and well as being selected as an alternate for the American Association of University Women (AAUW) 2021-22 American Fellowship.