I am a nontraditional student and veteran from the Appalachian mountains. I graduated from UCI with a B.S. in Earth System Science. I am Huichol (Wixaritari) on my mother’s side and Quechua on my father’s side. I have a spiritual and scientific connection to the earth that drives both my academic work and pass time. I enjoy being in nature, beadwork, making jewelry, and going to concerts. I enjoy everything from Chicano Batman to Type O Negative.