Everything You Need to Know
I grew up in Central New Jersey (which exists) either neck deep in mud, or neck deep in original broadway cast recordings. As a textbook drama club kid, I loved being on stage almost as much as I loved my AP Environmental Science professor. But, the two worlds of nature and theatre seemed incompatible, so I kept them apart.
In college, I sang a butt ton of A Cappella, reveled in the coolness of being a college radio host, joined a frat, and had countless existential crises about what to do with my life until I fell backwards into an education internship at the New England Aquarium. After learning that I could merge my love of performing with my burning need to educate the people about climate change, I wrote and created my own student-run television show about how to be a cool college cat whilst also caring for the planet. I finished my time at Emerson by writing my senior thesis on Hayao Miyazaki’s environmental communication strategies, and yes. It turned out as nerdy as it sounds.
After graduating, I made the big bad move to Los Angeles, where I spent my first year waiting tables, teaching preschool and hosting a livestream for a video game site called Caffeine. I also worked part-time for PBS doing events until they hired me full time in November of 2019. Since then, I’ve been turning TV content into science lessons, distributing them to the communities in SoCal, and working under a giant painting of a Fred Rogers quote that reads:
“There are three ways to ultimate success:
The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind.
The third way is to be kind.”
As a non-professional person, I love to sing, I laugh exclusively at dumb poop jokes, and I am a single parent to my turtle son, Derbis. I spend most weekends out in the streets of LA protesting for climate justice, or hiking Angeles National Forest without enough sunblock. I’m a vegetarian, except for Jersey Mike’s Turkey Subs.
One day, I will have my own kid’s science show, where I will teach every young person that the planet we live on matters, as do their voices and minds.
I cannot do a handstand, but also aspire to do that one day.
Awards
Visionary Film Award
Portland EcoFilm Festival (2023)Jennifer Stowers-Quintal Visionary Award - Emerson Recognition and Achievement Awards (2018)
Outstanding Television Personality - 37th Annual EVVY Awards (2018)
Outstanding Radio Personality - 36th Annual EVVY Awards (2017)
Past Work
Columbia
Climate School
Curriculum Producer
(2021-2022)
EarthEcho
International
Digital Content Producer
(2022-Present)
Loggerhead
Marinelife Center
Wild About Wildlife Producer
(2022)
PBS SoCal
Early Learning Specialist
(2019-2021)
90.9 WBUR
Bizlab Fellow
(2018)
Caffeine Studios
Host/Producer
(2019)
Hidden Lantern Arts Festival
Creator/Producer
(2016-2018)
Hidden Gems Preschool
Volunteer Preschool Science Teacher (2019)
88.9 WERS
On Air Host
(2014-2018)
Rotten Science
Comedy Development Intern
(2019)
New England Aquarium
Education Intern
(2017)