I have been an artist and storyteller for as long as I can remember—whether through drawing, painting, music, or writing, creative expression has always been my compass. That compass first pointed me toward graphic design, where I discovered how art could live inside business, brand, and community. My early career was shaped by adversity: during the Great Recession, my family lost our home, I was injured in a car accident, and I became housing insecure. But it was during this season of instability that I reconnected with something enduring—education.

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Encouraged by a community college professor, I transferred to Humboldt State University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. There, I co-founded the Homeless Student Advocate Alliance, where I combined my skills in advocacy, media, and organizing to support fellow students experiencing housing insecurity. The success of that initiative awakened in me a lifelong commitment to both higher education and social change.

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Since then, I’ve steadily advanced my career in marketing and communication—first through nonprofit and entrepreneurial efforts, and now in higher education, where I currently serve as Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Hocking College. From email campaigns to institutional branding, I design messaging that is data-informed, inclusive, and creatively inspired. I bring the same intention and imagination to my research. As a Ph.D. student in Interpersonal and Organizational Communication at Ohio University, I specialize in arts-based methodologies and autoethnography—tools that allow me to tell stories that matter with rigor and soul.

 

While I live by a social constructionist philosophy, I am also trained in qualitative and quantitative research traditions and enjoy working across methodological boundaries.

At the heart of my work—whether in marketing, teaching, or scholarship—is a deep belief in the power of stories to transform lives and institutions. I am especially passionate about serving diverse learners, advocating for equity in academia, and helping organizations align their messaging with their mission. I look forward to continuing this journey with institutions that value creativity, critical inquiry, and community impact.