Growing up, my mom used to tell me, “a jack of all trades is a master of none,” whenever I found myself pulled in too many directions. For a while, I took that as a sign to narrow in — to pick one thing and master it before exploring anything else. But later, I heard the rest: “…but oftentimes better than a master of one.” That shift changed everything. Instead of limiting what I was interested in, I started paying attention to how things connect.

That mindset is how I approach finance, economics, and most things in life now. I’ve now graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from NC State. I try to focus on understanding how systems actually behave — not just how they’re supposed to. I’ve spent time inside financial systems, from digging into a $20B variance at Bank of America to working across data and real estate finance, and one thing has stuck with me: outcomes are rarely driven by one big decision. They’re built from small moments, small choices, stacking into something larger — a cascade of events, all starting with a single step.

This blog is where I think out loud — where market theory meets tangents, loopholes hide in plain sight, and curiosity refuses to stay confined. It’s less about having answers and more about following the threads that connect things we don’t always think to connect.

When I’m not doing this, I’m usually outside — hiking, traveling, or spending time with animals (bugs excluded, that fear is staying), usually with a camera in hand. Traveling, especially, has taught me more than any classroom ever could. It forces you to adapt, to listen, and to see lives completely different from your own. One moment that stuck with me was in Miami. I stopped into a small shop just to grab a fresh coconut and ended up staying for hours. The owner shared stories about his parents immigrating from Cuba in the 80s, showed me old newspaper clippings, and talked about the struggles that built the life he has now. When I finally left, he handed me the coconut for free. It was such a simple moment, but it’s one I’ll never forget.

Moments like that are why I always have a camera with me. I’m drawn to capturing things as they are — unfiltered, unstaged, just real. Because if you actually take the time to look, there’s always a story there. It’s in the details, the small things most people overlook, the pieces that come together like a puzzle. That’s the same way I think — paying attention, connecting what isn’t immediately obvious, and finding meaning in the details.