Travel & Culture
Stories & Reflections from 50+ Countries/Regions
Projects & Policy
Graduate-level International Affairs Research Projects + Fieldwork
Endurance & Adventure
Training & Race-Day Insights from 35+ Races Worldwide
A Decade of Discovery
Two-Year Volunteer Service Mission Abroad
2015 - 2017
Age 18, lived and served across Switzerland, Austria, and southern Germany as a full-time volunteer missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Immersed deeply in the German language, culture, and society, while befriending individuals and multi-cultural communities amidst the complex landscape of the 2015 European Migrant Crisis (UNHCR), witnessing the German public’s response as well. This period of time fostered my love for studying languages, facilitating space for cross-cultural engagement and dialogue, and it is even when I ran my first ever race (A 5k with local church members)!
Neuroscience & International Business
2018 - 2021
Began my undergraduate studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah pursuing a Neuroscience & German Linguistics double-major and a minor in International Business; awarded Global Business Management certificate. Worked as a Neuroscience Research Assistant and led the Neuro-Outreach Club on campus, educating middle and high school classrooms across Utah on brain health. For extracurricular activities, I began training for and competing in Ironman triathlons and Spartan OCR races across Utah and the Western U.S.
Languages, Global Affairs, & Endurance Races
2021 - 2022
Did a 6-month German-speaking internship in Austria (2021) and intensively studied Russian while living with a native Russian-speaking host family for 3 months in Riga, Latvia (2022). Traveled to 20+ countries and began applying to graduate programs in International Relations/Affairs. Graduated from BYU with a B.A. in German and a minor in Russian, marking my new pathway toward global policy and diplomacy.
Additionally, after long COVID-related event delays, things opened up and I completed 5 Ironman 70.3 (half distance) and 2 Ironman (full distance) races, as well as 35+ Spartan OCR (Obstacle-Course-Racing) races, spanning from Finland to Mexico… and even Malaysia!
Graduate School in Washington D.C.
2023 - 2025
After graduating from BYU in December 2022, I volunteered in Tanzania & Turkey from January-March 2023, arriving in Istanbul shortly after the devastating earthquakes in the east of the country. Additionally, I spent 2 weeks on a country-wide guided historical & cultural tour of Iran, and 2 weeks in Madagascar attending my friends’ wedding and local festivities!
In August 2023, I began my M.A. in International Affairs program, concentration in Sustainable Development, at George Washington University in Washington D.C., graduating May 2025. Throughout my studies, I conducted fieldwork for both graduate research and self-initiated projects, such as a fundraising workshop for the Paralympic Committee in Zambia, interviewing farmers regarding sustainable farming methods/seed access in rural Malawi, and attending the Arctic Council’s Emergency Management conference in the Arctic Circle in Norway, while conducting capstone research on the governance of critical mineral mining in the region.
Interned at FHI360 in Washington D.C., working on U.S. Department of State international exchange programs (IVLP & Sports Envoy/Sports Visitor Program), coordinating program management for 100+ international leaders and supporting sports diplomacy initiatives in the U.S. and abroad.
What's Next?
2025-
Building on a decade of disciplined and expansive study, growth, and service, I’m hoping to launch a career in international affairs & development, with a passion for cultural exchange, sports diplomacy, and storytelling. Fluent in German, with advanced Russian and a love for languages, my experiences across Africa, Europe, and the Middle-East demonstrate my drive to help shape and implement inclusive, data-driven solutions to pressing global challenges. My lifestyle outside of academia provides very valuable life lessons as well!
Feel free to reach out (as an employer or colleague) or just follow along as I write up articles, aiming to cover all 50+ countries and/or regions (The Balkans, Micro-Countries, etc.) that I have visited or explored extensively!
Enjoy my Global Footprints Blog & Portfolio!
Snapshots From the Journey
A glimpse at the places, projects, and races I have been involved with!
Words from Friends Along the Way
