Biography

In another life, I’m pretty sure I was: a teamaker in the Japanese countryside, sharing meals with friendly neighbors and enjoying the constant hum of cicadas. I would spend my time picking flowers and foraging for ingredients in the surrounding meadows.

On Sunday mornings, you can usually find me:  Finding the best iced coffee in Providence or driving around the state to find a new Farmer’s Market or kitschy art shop/pop-up with my husband. Or, alternatively, curled up in a massive bean bag chair with my dog watching hours and hours of anime.

Name a few of your daily habits (other than a shower and brushing your teeth): Iced coffee and video games are daily activities for me. Right now my Dunkin’ order is a Medium Iced Coffee w/ Oatmilk and Caramel Swirl while my video games of choice are Overwatch and Palia; however, you may also find me hiding out in Paper Mario, Dead by Daylight, or Runescape when the spirit moves me.

What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome to accomplish your academic goals? I am the first person in my entire family to graduate from high school (I am the second youngest of 12 kids), so getting my undergraduate and graduate degrees were both huge milestones for me and my family. Navigating a college campus with no knowledge of what to expect or what resources are available is really hard… and that’s why I chose to work in Higher Education! I want every student who meets with me to know that I am in their corner just like the incredible humans who helped me throughout my own journey.

What advice would you give to your past self? I grew up in rural Kentucky and spent so many years trying to hide myself from a world that wasn’t ready to accept me for who I am… so I would tell myself to let those fears go and hope that I would have found my sense of self and a supportive community much earlier. I am learning new things about myself every single day and I love that about life. Never, ever let other people make you feel like you aren’t enough just as you are!

What is your favorite part about your job? I love helping students find the strength to advocate for themselves and others. One of my favorite quotes is, “Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.” The best part about working with our incredible students is witnessing their growth, both academically and interpersonally. When a student showcases a skillset they weren’t confident in when we first met, that’s my favorite.