My Why

I grew up in the arts, dancing, singing and acting to express myself and to learn valuable skills like discipline, collaboration, and confidence. Performing was my life and my passion growing up, and I decided to pursue a music degree from Oklahoma City University after four years of acting professionally as a teenager.

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In 2019, I began experiencing symptoms of a dormant and unnamed chronic illness that led to my leaving music school just prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, as I convalesced and learned how to cope with chronic illness, I decided to finish my Bachelors degree in Psychology, my other passion, which I had previously decided to nurture aside from academic pursuits.

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I finished my Bachelors degree a year early, and was awakened to the possibilities my unique life experience can afford me. I realized that I could be a drama therapist for children who endure chronic illnesses and disabilities! This newfound path is what led me to pursuing my Masters degree in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, where I could nurture my love for social sciences while broadening my knowledge of the nonprofit sector.  Since becoming chronically ill and learning to advocate for myself , I realized how difficult it can be to be disabled, and how much more difficult it must be to work through in childhood. This desire to help others cope and thrive hand in hand with disability has cleared a path forward for me in the social sciences and the nonprofit sector. 

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I used my degree to continue to forge this path, as well as to provide support to local arts organizations such as Tampa Repertory Theatre. As I complete this degree, I am thrilled and eager for the work I will do soon.