About Me!

Walking the rocky path at Iowa Farm Sanctuary, surrounded by animals with unique challenges, I feel a deep sense of purpose. Here, animals find safety and friendship, and I find hope for a compassionate world.

When I was five, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to help animals. In 5th grade, I began raising money for local shelters and animals affected by the Australian wildfires. This inspired me to take action instead of watching from the sidelines. Each year after that, I organized garage sales and raised thousands of dollars for animals and organizations in need, motivated by the difference I could make.

Helping animals has been the biggest motivation in my life. It influences my daily choices and pushes me to act with empathy and responsibility.

Living with Celiac Disease makes every day life more difficult, but it also reminds me how many animals live with even greater restrictions, especially in industrial farming. This perspective has strengthened my commitment to animal advocacy. Overtime, creating and selling arts and crafts became more than a hobby; it grew into a passion for helping animals and the environment. Now, at eighteen, I recognize that the friendships and growth I’ve gained through this journey far outweigh anything I’ve left behind.

At seventeen, I joined the Leaders for Ethics, Animals, and the Planets program with five people I didn't know. Through this experience, I found a community of people who cared about animals and the environment just like I did. Working together on difficult topics helped me feel a sense of belonging and teamwork.

After the program, I made fifty bracelets for my school’s National Honor Society project. With help from Iowa Farm Sanctuary, they sold out in 24 hours and raised $500. I also won a $500 scholarship for an awareness essay on factory farming and later a $1,000 nationwide scholarship for an advocacy video. More than the money, these experiences showed me that my voice can make a difference.

A few months later, I was invited to join the program’s Youth Advisory Council. There, I work with seven other members from different places to spread awareness and organize service projects. This group has given me friendships, confidence, and the reminder that I am not alone in my goals. Harper, a girl from Texas whom I met through this youth advisory council, has brought me happiness in knowing that I have someone I can talk to and work with, knowing I won’t be belittled or thought negatively of, since we share the same beliefs, as this friendship also helps me realize the importance of collaboration.

In the future, I hope to become a wildlife rehabilitator and veterinary technician, complete six months of wildlife conservation in Hawaii, and eventually open my own farmed animal sanctuary. The compassion, teamwork, and empathy I’ve gained through these experiences have shaped who I am and the future I want to build and change I want to continue to make.