I grew up in Overland Park, KS. About 30 minutes south of downtown KC. It was a good mix of city life and rural country.
Both of my parents worked full-time. They both worked really hard. My dad owns his own business, so he definitely ingrained in me what hard work, discipline, and having accountability for yourself looks like. He taught me to take pride in your performance, whether it be in sports, school, or your career. My mom is self-made and worked her way up in her company from starting in an administrative role to being the longest tenured employee and a major department head. She has shown me that growth does not come overnight, and you can’t expect anything to be given to you. If you work hard and outperform the expectations, it will show.
I went to Kansas State University and studied Human Nutrition. I cheered for three years and worked part time at a nursing home while I attended university.