I don’t really have a hometown, my dad was in the Air Force for almost 30 years so I moved about every two years growing up. I have lived in New Mexico twice, Ohio, Florida twice, Virginia three times, Alabama, Colorado twice, California twice, and Louisiana.
Growing up, my family was very close since we were moving all the time. My mom is the person that influenced me the most and helped me become the person I am today. She has always pushed me to the best that I can be and encouraged me to do anything I set my mind to. No matter what I was going through or what my family was going through she was always there for me. One of the greatest lessons I learned from my childhood is resiliency in the face of unexpected change. She was there holding my hand to walk me into all four elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools. Changing schools and moving so often forced me to be resilient through things I never thought I would overcome and I’m thankful for every cross-country move I was a part of.
Before graduating high school, I decided that I was going to work as hard as possible to make the choice where I went to college and finally choose where I was going to live. I went to the University of Florida and studied elementary education. While I was there, I volunteered in schools, tutored for the local boys and girls club, and worked with the RIF Foundation. I stayed at UF and completed my master’s in special education before deciding to make the move to Colorado.