On April 5, 2024, Barlow-Diemer attended the University of Maryland’s HGSA Graduate Student Conference. The theme was “Trauma, Memory, and Identity: Connection through Conflict.” At this conference Barlow-Diemer presented her paper, “Gold Trees to Silver Seas: Ecological Narratives of Vietnam,” in which she discussed the environmental history of modern Vietnam, and the legacies of colonialism and industrialization within the region. During this conference Barlow-Diemer also had the opportunity to meet with other graduate students who were presenting on their work, and the UMD faculty. This was the first time she had the opportunity to present her work professionally, and overall it was a fantastic experience. Barlow-Diemer is thankful to URI’s Center for the Humanities for generously allocating her funding for the conference, as well as the UMD staff that made the experience so positive.