My Story

I grew up in Redmond, Washington and I have had a love for reading and writing since I was a child. I graduated from Lake Washington High School in 2017 with a 4.0 GPA, but delayed my college career by nearly five years when my grandmother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson's. I pivoted from a student to a full-time, live-in caregiver, obtaining a Home Care Aide certification in Washington state. At just age 19, I had to learn how to manage difficult and complex care tasks, such as wound care, incontinence management, infection care, overnight monitoring, medication administration, and more. During that time, I was able to complete an Associates in General Arts & Sciences from Spokane Community College and begin studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology through Arizona State University, both online. This was an incredibly difficult experience that shaped my character, and I am eternally grateful for my years as a caregiver as I move forward in my education.

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My Education & Background

While I had a passion for psychology and mental health, my first love was always literature, and I also wanted to experience college in-person. In August of 2023, I transferred to Biola University in La Mirada, California to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Business Administration. I chose to finish my BA from Arizona State, and my last year at ASU and first year at Biola actually ran concurrently!

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In May 2024, I graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University with my BA in Psychology. I was also a graduate of their Barrett Honors program, where I published a 60-page research paper on the impacts of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy on family dementia caregivers. 

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At Biola, I became engaged in numerous student publications and writing opportunities. From 2024 to 2026, I served as President of the Biola Guild of English Scholars, where I organized events that allowed English students to showcase and discuss their written work with their peers and faculty members.

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In 2024, I joined Biola's student newspaper, The Chimes Media Group, as a Staff Opinions Writer. Here, I wrote weekly opinions and news pieces and collaborated with a team of writers and editors. In March 2025, I won First Place for Best Newspaper Column at the California College Media Awards for my work at The Chimes. In August 2025, I was promoted to Managing Editor of the newspaper. From 2025-2026, I led a team of 30+ writers and editors, managing the weekly story budget and editing over 150+ pieces for professional publication. In addition to newspaper writing, I worked as a Copy Editor for Biola's yearbook, The Biolan, a staff writer for Biola's magazine, The Point, and Editor-in-Chief of Biola's literary journal, The Inkslinger. If you can't tell, I love writing and editing!

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In May 2026, I graduated summa cum laude from Biola University. Upon graduation, I was inducted into the Epsilon Kappa Epsilon (EKE) Honors Society. EKE is an honors society at Biola recognizing the top 5% of graduates for academic excellence, and induction is by invitation and faculty recommendation only. I was 1 of 42 inductees out of 1,400 graduates for 2026. In addition to being inducted into EKE, I was selected for the Todd Pickett Award for Excellence in Service to the English Department.

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My Future Plans

My experience with The Chimes Media Group gave me a passion for management, and in Fall 2026, I will be pursuing a Master's of Business Analytics at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. I am grateful for the opportunity to be accepted into Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business, where I hope to make lifelong connections and grow as a leader and business manager. 

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When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my dog Lucy and my bird Charlie. I am an avid bird lover, and when I'm home in the Pacific Northwest, I enjoy practicing bird photography in my own backyard.