Natalie obtained her undergraduate degree from California State University of Channel Islands, where she studied environmental science and resource management. Her personal interest in environmental policy emerged as she researched offshore oil platform decommissioning occurring off the California coast and became immersed in interagency dynamics and communication nexuses. After graduating, Natalie contributed to multiple field-based projects in Louisiana, Hawai'i and California. Each location fostered a deeper appreciation and passion for applied resource management, and she especially enjoyed gaining insight on interagency cooperation for landscape-scale conservation strategies. Moving forward, she wants to diversify her professional and academic experiences to encompass marine resource management and accumulate a greater understanding of applied policies on local, state, and federal levels.