My mineralogy/crystallography career started as a third-year undergraduate geology student after being awarded an NSERC undergraduate student research award. This allowed me to work in the crystallography lab at the U of M where I assisted with X-ray diffraction experiments and theoretical research. In March of 2015, I finished my undergraduate honors thesis which focused on the crystal chemistry and structure of amphibole-supergroup minerals. Upon completion of this project, I developed a passion for understanding the structural and chemical controls on mineral paragenesis. Currently I am enrolled in a Ph.D. program at the University of Manitoba under the supervision of Frank C. Hawthorne.