Areas
Profile
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
Education Background: B.A. Growth and Structure of Cities, Bryn Mawr College
How did you get interested in your field?
My interest within the field of historic preservation began from exploring and living internationally at a young age. I remember the magical feeling of being within historical and ancient sites, and such wonder has continued throughout my upbringing and studies today. Having the opportunity to live abroad in England, Germany, Japan, and Ghana, I had the chance to experience their preserved spaces and witness the relationships between how each country represented their identity through cultural heritage. Such wonder led me to pursue an interdisciplinary urban planning/architecture/history degree at Bryn Mawr College where my interests began to be pinpointed towards historic preservation.
What was your background prior to coming to Penn?
Prior to studying at Penn, I completed my bachelors degree in Growth and Structure of Cities. After graduation, I was a research assistant in which I worked on digitally archiving and indexing nineteenth-century drawn and textual insurance surveys of buildings within Philadelphia. I also had the opportunity to intern though the National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) fellowship with the National Park Service’s preservation team in the D.C. area.
Why did you choose Penn?
Having studied just outside of Philadelphia at Bryn Mawr College, I was well acquainted with the rich resources and knowledge that Penn had to offer. When it came down to deciding between graduate schools, Penn was an easy decision to make based on the amount of support I received from faculty, alumni, and the financial aid and admissions office.
What do you like best about Philadelphia?
I love Philly’s melting pot of history and culture where you’ll experience or see something new every time. From the dense, urban skyscrapers by City Hall to the quaint residential neighborhood of Society Hill, Philly has a lot of unique charm it has to offer.
What kinds of activities and/or organizations are you involved in?
I am currently a Graduate Resident Advisor and involved within Weitzman’s student council as a Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) representative.
What are your career ambitions?
I plan on focusing on policy driven preservation work in regards to the relationship between cultural and economic values.