In a nutshell: I am NOT someone who looks for an opportunity to stand up on a podium!

I grew up in Alaska, in the small town of North Pole. Yes, had the classic bullied childhood at school and VERY loving parents at home.

You could sum up my youthful story by saying that I hit my early adult years in a state of “shaken and stirred!”

What is different about my story? WELL, not to gross anyone out…just to be gently real: my first day of middle school, I was greeted to the school by a kid being carried out on a stretcher. When I walked inside, and THIS IS TRUE! There was blood all over the walls. It was rather horrifying, especially for a pre-teen.

Years later, my father, who had always been my rock, died when I was 19 years old of cancer. It really shattered my world.

So, if you asked me if I would change anything about my amazing experiences in youth, sure! Did I make mistakes…of course!  

Did my youth impact who I am today, yes. The most inspiring part of who I am: My biggest takeaways were to be strong, not angry. To look for the good in others, even when they hurt you. And when situations get impossible, definitely find the window! 

This same youth challenged me and gave me space to read and explore the amazing natural world of Alaska. And Yes! The mosquitos were crazy!! The joke was they were the “unofficial” state bird!

As a young adult, given the opportunity to go for my chosen career path, I chose programming. And had some excellent educators that challenged me and encouraged me to dig for answers, and gave me a solid foundation to start out with.

To read more…please get comfortable and check out my Full Bio.