In my talk I will share, first my experience as a Higher Energy Particle Physicist, highlighting some aspects of my 4-year postdoctoral career and what got me thinking more seriously about science for policies and policies for science. I will then give an overview of my STEM education initiatives in South America, in particular, my work with a Peruvian no for profit organization whose mission is to implement fully inclusive innovative education STEM projects for students in Peru. I will then talk about my transition into science policy as a first year AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation. I will highlight my work investigating institutional efforts to transform teaching and learning in STEM fields into environments that support and scale-up evidence-based teaching and learning practices across all STEM departments. I will also talk about some of my own projects, ranging from science diplomacy to regional food systems for sustainable food production and consumption. I will finish talking about all that there is to learn and explore in the nation’s capital and my "vision" for "my future."