I am a fourth-year PhD student in the Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory working with Prof. Nathan Smith. My research focuses on understanding the late-stage evolution of massive stars and their eventual deaths as supernova explosions. Massive stars and supernovae are fundamental to astrophysics: they drive galaxy evolution, synthesize elements essential for life, and play a key role in shaping our understanding of the universe. To study them, I use a suite of world-class ground-based telescopes in Arizona and around the world, including the MMT, Large Binocular Telescope, and Gemini Observatory, to obtain optical and near-infrared observations. I then analyze how their brightness evolves over time and combine these data with numerical simulations to infer their physical properties such as mass, radius, and chemical composition. As a Space Grant Fellow, I am excited to continue conducting cutting-edge research while serving as an instructor for the University of Arizona Sky School. I plan to build on its place-based approach and expand the newly developed curriculum focused on astrobiology to help K-12 students form meaningful connections with the night sky.