I studied history at Connecticut College while also earning a minor in economics and art. I focused on North American history, having special interests in the Cold War and how art was used for power and propaganda. After graduation, I was awarded a teaching fellowship from Princeton in Asia. I worked in the tsunami devastated area of southern Thailand, teaching English as a second language and helped build a non-profit with the aim of teaching students how to swim and the importance of ocean conservation. My time in Thailand (and throughout South East Asia), exposed the Eurocentric lens of education in the West. I am hoping the global history program will offer new insights that will build on previous studies and personal experiences.