I was born in 1982 in Durango, Colorado and was raised in a rural area of southern New Jersey. The South Jersey Pine Barrens were the perfect place to grow up. I spent much of my childhood outdoors climbing trees and running through farm sprinklers on our 60-acre sod farm. From an early age I was taught to have a deep appreciation for nature, which has helped to mold the person I have become. I consider myself extremely lucky to have grown up in a family as loving and nurturing as mine. My parents have taught me the most important things I will ever learn and have always encouraged me in all my ventures.

The creative arts have always been part of my life. When I was young my parents made it possible for me to take ballet lessons, which I continued for 12 years. Throughout school I enjoyed challenging my creativity and my favorite classes were always art, photography, and design. I find the art world to be a constant and endless source of interest and inspiration. My interest in Fashion Design, which is my major, developed throughout high school. I consider Fashion to be "wearable art." This perspective has had an impact on many of my designs. Along with Fashion Design, I am also interested in Graphic Design and Marketing, which is my minor. I often intertwine my interests to complete projects.