When I was young, we moved around because my Dad was in the Army. I always liked school because that is where I made friends. I enjoyed learning math and science. When it was time to go to college, I chose Mine Engineering because I could use my math and science skills in a way that also let me spend time outside. Today, I am in charge of the only gold mine in Colorado and have been able to live in and visit a lot of exciting places, like Africa, Australia and Peru.

What inspired you to explore STEM when you were young?

I liked using logic and reasoning to solve problems. I also liked to learn about all of the different sciences and was fascinated by how humans had uncovered so many amazing things about how our world works.

What do you enjoy most about what you do in your STEM career?

I enjoy the challenge of finding and extracting mineral resources, which is much different than just buying supplies and making something. Everything you have is either grown or mined, and being part of one of these essential industries is exciting.

What is a fun, bizarre or insightful STEM fact about your field?

I work in gold mining. We are mining tiny amounts of gold – so tiny that you can’t see them – and turning them into gold bars. This gold is then used to make a lot of cool technology like cell phones and computers – and even lines the glass windows of space shuttles and space suits.