About Me

Hailing from rural Appalachia, I identify as a mountain lover through and through. I am from a small town called Rocky Gap, Va. I had a wonderful childhood of running through the woods and being surrounded by animals. I met my best friend in Kindergarten, and she is still my best friend to this day.

I graduated from Radford University with a degree in Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, and minors in Real Estate Finance and Business Administration. I initially saw myself planning resort events and weddings and did my initial internship at the luxurious Chatham Bars Inn in Cape Cod before putting down roots in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, at a 4-star resort there. I spent time as a Recreation Supervisor and then became an Executive Administrative Assistant. Both jobs we challenging and fast pace and when Covid-19 came into play, our resort was closed for five short weeks before we were back, severally understaffed and 100% occupied. Seeing how businesses in the hospitality “took care” of their staff ruined the Hospitality business for me.

2021, my yellow lab, Chema, and I moved to Richmond, Va, to try our hand at leasing. I am now a Marketing/Leasing consultant for a luxury apartment complex in Chester, VA. It’s slower-paced with less turnover. I have enjoyed it so far, but six months into my move, the tiny voice in my brain grew louder and louder with “you know what you really want to be doing.” “Think how happy you’d be.” and the less positive thought, “Graduate school is hard.” “You work full time.” “Can you do this?”

Finally, this past October, I took the plunge and applied to Old Dominion University. I told myself, “baby steps” even if I got in, it didn’t mean I had to go. I registered for classes, applied for financial aid, and still told myself, “it is okay if this is too much; just take it week by week.” This leads us to where we are today. I am only a couple of weeks into my program, and I am immensely pleased with myself and still very nervous for the weeks to come. After reading and seeing all the other people in my program from similar and far different backgrounds, I feel more at home with my career choices. I relate to things people in my courses say and their passions about books, community-mindedness, people, and career. It is so rare to find a career that you find fulling. I already feel that way just starting school again. I have decided to take the path of public school librarianship, ideally in a middle school setting. I am excited to see where my classes and this new journey will take me.


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