Hi everyone! This last year has been very exciting. I took a year off between undergrad and graduate school, so in March 2021 I set off to Arizona to hike the 800 mile Arizona Trail from Mexico to Utah! This was my first long distance hike and took me about 60 days to complete. I camped every night, got to hike rim to rim in the Grand Canyon in a snow storm, and learned to love living out of my backpack. It was an incredible experience and I met some amazing people!

In August I headed back to Washington, DC for graduate school at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies where I am pursuing a Master’s degree in international relations. I finished my first of four semesters at Johns Hopkins with a 3.92 GPA and a spot on the Dean’s List. My classes focused on Latin America, and included a seminar on drug policy in the region. It’s a two year program, so I’ll be in DC until at least May 2023, but hopefully I’ll stick around after and pursue a career here. GW finally held our delayed in-person graduation on the National Mall, and it was a great opportunity to see all of my friends from college after almost two years. After a long winter break, I’m back to class for next semester at the end of January, and I’m looking forward to more adventures!