Have you ever felt called to do something BIG with your life, but have been scared, or unsure what path to take? So have I - but that didn’t stop me. My journey as an artist and storyteller has not been smooth, but then again, I never was the type to fit in or take the most traveled path. 

 

Growing up in a small town in Minnesota gave me a beautiful childhood on an idyllic dog and horse farm that would have made most kids jealous. After high school graduation, my parents supported my decision to pursue acting in Los Angeles...and within months I got a rude awakening about what it takes to survive on your own. 

 

Almost right away, I booked my first guest-star role on Comedy Central’s FRANK TV starring Frank Caliendo!, As soon as I got my momentum going the Great Recession hit and I was desperate to stay in Los Angeles so Iworked whatever job I could.  I took a sharp turn on my career path into sales, marketing and project management that were well-paying, but certainly not aligned with my creative spirit.

 

And then the worst happened - my mother tragically lost her battle to breast cancer. Amidst all the grief, I reignited my creativity through writing poetry in honor of my mother and did everything she never got the opportunity to do. I traveled the world (25 countries and counting). I went back to school and graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA with a degree in English Literature. 

 

After years of studying acting with Eric Morris and improv with the Groundlings, it was truly a blessing to my craft to experience the artistic parallels with writing the character and becoming the character. I currently have 10 projects in development across literature and film, including my debut novel Bloom, which is scheduled to be released in 2021.

 

I also took my career in education a step further by opening Hippo Campus, an individualized tutoring service for grades K-12 with an emphasis on strategies that promote long-term retention. While my specialty is reading comprehension and writing, I enjoy working in all subjects and believe any student can learn any lesson with personalized instruction.

 

Discovering that you have multiple artistic passions can be challenging at times, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I guess that’s my definition of doing something BIG - and I’m just getting started!