Which people and experiences in your early life had the greatest impact on you? 

I am blessed to have a great family that has supported me in my dreams since I was a little girl. As a child, it was quickly apparent to my parents that I would need an activity that would allow me to get my energy out. I was constantly moving and wanting to talk to everyone. This led my parents to introduce me to the fine arts. My first introduction to the arts was dance, and then later came theatre. I fell in love. These two art forms allowed me to express myself and perform the way I wanted to. My father, who was from New York, introduced me to Broadway. This introduction was when I knew that musical theatre was something I wanted to do.

As a military child, I quickly became accustomed to constant change and the importance of building relationships. I was born in Maryland, but moved to Guam, Nebraska, Hawaii, and Texas within seven years of my life. I loved growing up in the military lifestyle. I was blessed to be introduced to new cultures, friends, and environments that would help shape me into the person I am today. The arts were alive and well in each of these locations. I was able to take cheer, and I learned multiple dance styles in these locations, which included ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, modern, and hula. I got to participate in theatre through camps, the most foundational being Missoula Children’s Theatre.

My dad was diagnosed with brain cancer when I was four years old. I often at times felt like I grew up in hospital rooms, but my family made the best of it. When I lost my dad at nine years old, it was very hard for my family and I, but it brought me closer to my mom and my brother. They have been my greatest support system in life. It was at times hard to return to the art forms I loved, but I found them to be a great emotional outlet.

Throughout middle school and high school, I had great theatre directors who gave me opportunities to hold leadership positions and gain experience in both directing and choreography. I will forever be grateful to Karin Ortega and Vanessa Garcia, who had the utmost faith in me as a student. Being able to work with my peers to tell beautiful stories is a memory I will forever cherish. Getting to choreograph my first musical will be an experience I will never forget. Most of my peers had never danced the style that was needed for the show, so being able to teach them and seeing them “nail” moves for the first time will be an experience I will never forget. It’s this experience that led me to want to go into the arts education field myself.

For my Bachelor's degree, I decided to pursue theatre as my major and get a minor in education. I was able to be in the classroom and still pursue the art forms I love, not only at my college campus but also at two theme parks that I deeply love. I was blessed with the opportunity to stage manage many productions in college, giving me the inside scoop on directing, which I believe has made me a better teacher. In fact, because of stage management, two of my professors asked me to explore arts administration, which led me to where I am today.