Irish Traditional Music (and playing music in general) is a large part of my life. I actively attend local music sessions to play with other musicians and have been working through learning the uilleann pipes, button accordion, concertina, flute, bouzouki, guitar (DADGAD and standard), banjo, mandolin, and whistle. My two biggest interests of computer science and music are currently converging through a project to realize Martin Tourish's concept of a Musical Catalyst Framework (MCF) to create a better learning and evaluation environment for students of traditional musics.

In September 2020, I began pursuing an M.A. in Irish Music Studies at the University of Limerick where I engaged to learn more about the music, its transmission, and its history in a more formal academic setting. Once I complete this step in my education, I hope to pursue another in a PhD to study either Folklore, Irish Musicology, or Computational Musicology, with an end goal of working as a researcher with archives or as a professor at a university. I also have found some further pedagogy around the uilleann pipes and button accordion in the course of my studies. I am very excited to complete this program and explore further down this new path!

In May 2012, I became an Eagle Scout through Troop 166 in Lakewood, CO. My project involved helping to restore the Devil's Head Trailhead near Sedalia, Colorado with a group of about 20 scouts, adults, and friends.

From Sophomore to Senior years in high school, I competed and placed in the annual statewide Technology Student Association (TSA) competitions. While I participated in a wide range of events, my main focus was in Animatronics and Systems Control. In competing, I typically acted as the coding and electronics specialist, working with BASIC and Arduino microcontrollers and gaining a novice knowledge of electrical and robotics engineering.

Following High School, I spent some time abroad training as Beach Lifeguard and a Surf and Ropes Instructor in Bundoran, Ireland with the Donegal Adventure Center. Through my work and training there, I also helped lead various school groups of all ages through ropes and activity courses, learning valuable lessons about teamwork, management, and coordination. It was also there that I discovered my aforementioned love of ITM, taking lessons from local teacher Seamus Sweeney and absorbing as much as I could from sessions at local pubs.