I was born in Ilmenau, Germany to a Ukrainian mom and a half-German, half-Hungarian dad. From an early age, I was fortunate to be exposed to different countries, cultures, and languages. While my mom always spoke in Russian to my brothers and I, my dad always spoke in German to us. When I was seven years old, my family and I moved from Germany to Denton, TX where I entered elementary school and began learning English. The following year, we moved to Beirut, Lebanon where I continued learning English, but also started learning Arabic and French. In 2011, my family and I moved to Woodstock, GA where I graduated from high school in 2014 before entering Keimyung Adams College in Daegu, South Korea to pursue my Bachelor of International Relations.

Before starting my Master of Public Health in Global Health (MPH), I completed a market research internship in New Delhi, India in early 2017, as well as a research internship with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) in Seoul, South Korea in 2018. I then took on a project assistant role at the FNF office in Beirut, Lebanon from January to October 2019, after which I was offered a full-time position as a Community Manager at the FNF Middle East and North Africa regional office in Amman, Jordan, which I held until July 2020.

Growing up in Lebanon and later living there as an adult, sparked my passion and curiosity for public health. In fact, it was through one project in particular, the Take Me by the Hand exhibition, that my life changed forever and I knew I wanted to study Public Health.

Together with FNF partner Mishwar NGO, I was fortunate to coordinate and oversee an art exhibition project that opened a window of opportunity for Syrian and Palestinian refugee children to share their original stories of war, leaving home, and coming-of-age with an international audience by sharing their songs, photography, animations, and art. The project was called Take Me by the Hand, as it was based on a previous art exhibition in which the same children who created the works, literally took guests by their hands and introduced them to their masterpieces, as they shared more about their stories and who they are with them. Throughout the course of the project, I was warmly welcomed by the remarkable individuals within the refugee communities in North Lebanon for which I am immensely grateful. As they offered me a glimpse into their day-to-day lives, I would often catch myself thinking about social determinants and how health inequities influence our lives and our health. These experiences, together with some of my childhood memories, are what inspire me and drive me to contribute to meaningful research which benefits public health policies and improves people's lives.

Currently, I work as an International Programs Specialist at the American Urological Association, where I manage various international scholar exchange programs and assist in coordinating educational programming to advance urologic care globally.

In my spare time, I enjoy learning new skills, reading, swimming, traveling, and spending time with my diabetic rescue dog, Buddy.