I grew up on a small grain farm just outside of Farmer City, IL and I have been working in or around agriculture my whole life. My experiences growing up led me to pursue a B.S. in Animal Sciences from the University of Illinois. During my undergraduate career, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I worked with Dr. José Rossí at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in the Facultad de Argonomía for the Summer and Fall semesters of 2014. There I learned about dairy production in the pastoral systems of Argentina and assisted in a research project in evaluating grazing behaviors of various breeds of dairy cattle. When I returned, I worked in the Dairy Focus Lab as an undergraduate research assistant working on various research projects. Between these two experiences, I developed my passion for research and after obtaining my B.S., I stayed on with the Dairy Focus Lab, where I am currently working on my Masters in pre-partum feeding strategies and the effect on dairy cow reproductive health during the transition period. I am extremely excited to work with this amazing group of students and advisors at the Dairy Focus Lab.