Chapter 1

Outdoor Explorer

EXPLORING THE OUTDOORS IN COLOMBIA

01 / I was the oldest of 5 kids and grew up in Colombia, where I loved exploring the outdoors. I didn’t realize that I could be a scientist and work outside.

02 / I loved having the opportunity to go rock climbing and backpacking with friends in really beautiful places. From a young age, I really enjoyed being outside.

03 / I was a good student, but also kind of a troublemaker in high school.

04 / I was interested in Geology because I thought it would be a career path that involved the outdoors. I didn’t care much about other kinds of science in school, because it seemed like they were more about facts and memorization than research and exploration (now I realize that’s not true!).