“When I got the chance to go to Africa, there was this project where we built little houses for these villagers. For me as a westerner it was shocking how people could live with such little resources, but yet they were all smiling. A lot of them were victims of human trafficking and there was a lot of rape. There were so many negative things that we would consider enough to make the whole country miserable, yet they were all smiling. I had everything and pretty much didn’t have to struggle for a lot of things and I was not as happy as they were. So that was very humbling.”

“I like psychology. I like how people behave and why they do what they do. I started as a business major. My parents wanted me to be there and become a businessman. They thought it was going to make me happy. The first year I didn’t like it, didn’t like the people that were in it too much. I didn’t like the competition that comes with it. So I basically took two years off and I went to Europe and traveled around. I ended up visiting around 26 countries. I came back and I decided that people were very similar wherever I was going and that the only thing that kind of changes is what we want from life. Some people want happiness; some people want money; some people want relationships, but in the end it’s all mixed up in the same.”

“And what is it that you want?”

“I just want to understand myself better, I guess. Not so much other people, because I think everybody kind of behaves in accordance to their environment and whatever situation they’re in at that particular moment. I think if I understand myself better, I can make better judgments about other people.”

"Quick, what's the first things that pops in your head."
"Skating"

"I've always been into music, my mom and dad put me and my three other siblings into the Suzuki Program and also piano. The Suzuki Program is basically strings, violin, viola, cello and so we did that and we did youth symphony. I was the one that kept up with the music and my other siblings stopped doing it. I play the piano, violin, guitar, drums and cello. Piano and violin I was taught by teachers because my parents wanted me to get into either one, but the other ones I learned by myself because I really wanted to do them and was bored with piano and violin; I wanted to try something different."

"What brings you happiness?"

"A lot of different things, music and colors and the world, plants and trees, beautiful people and smiles.”

"The first major decomp facility in the U.S. was built by William Bass over at the University of Tennessee. I actually lived in Knoxville when I was little so that's where I first found out about forensic anthropology. Everybody out there called it the "body farm"and I actually lived about a quarter mile from it, so that's how I found out about it. This is something I've been interested in coming on 15 years now."

"The first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning was about having a good day. Just being positive, you know it's the first day of class and I was like it's going to be a good day. And I knew this weather is not cold today so I'm happy."