I grew up in Hilo, Hawai'i and earned an interdisciplinary B.A. in Health Science at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. After graduating I provided English as a Foreign Language services for five years in Quito, Ecuador, first teaching classes and later coordinating academic activities. Since returning to the U.S., I’ve supported undergraduate international students' admissions at the University of Maine for two years. As a Humphrey School MDP student I look forward to exploring development practices that are community-based, sustainable, evidence-driven, and inclusive. I'm especially passionate about gender equality via access to education, healthcare, and income-generating opportunities, as well as human rights issues, including equal protections for people of gender and sexual orientation minorities.