It is the marvel of a sunset on the most ordinary day that can change life forever. In this Honors Project, I attempt to explore my innate fascination with beauty and the results of this relationship. This creative project aims to explore the five pillars that are responsible for the book of poems, Why Do We See Beauty?: The Human Event, the Tao Te Ching, Philosophy, Buddhism, and my relationship with God. These pillars have intertwined consistently throughout the past few years and the entire book of poems is a product of my engagement, integration, and synthesis with these components of my life. The creative project, Why Do We See Beauty?, consists of fifty-one poems that center around spirituality, truth, and the mystery of God; whether implicitly or explicitly stated, the poetry serves as a medium to wrestle with the truth in my life. Through a breakdown of these five pillars of my poetry and then the communication of key themes, texts, and ideas that are grounded in it, I hope to share my art from the past few years. What started in The Human Event during my first year at Barrett has evolved into an undergraduate creative project that shows how The Human Event became personal.

The Arizona Board of Education decides the science curricula for students K-6. The standards lack an in depth knowledge of marine life, marine science, ocean conservation, and more related topics. Through interviews with teachers, faculty, and research on ocean literacy and coral reefs, My Coral Reef Booklet assembles various learning activities to cater to students from a variety of education, financial and impairment backgrounds. My Coral Reef Booklet addresses coral reef basics and how students can play their part in coral reef conservation despite their location.