I grew up in the South catching lightning bugs and spending long summer days playing with neighborhood kids. I was endlessly curious and always trying to make sense of the world around me. I even wrote (unsolicited!) lesson plans for my elementary school classes and convinced teachers to let me share some bonus content with my peers. That part of me never left. I still love sharing what I’ve learned in ways that help others feel seen, capable, and connected.

My childhood was beautiful but also hard. My mom was a single parent who lived with a mental health condition and whatever challenges she went through, my brothers and I went through with her, including job loss, homelessness, food insecurity. Still, I held onto the belief that life would get better.

That belief carried me but so did encouragement from caring adults in my life. Mrs. Fields, my high school guidance counselor, was one of them. Something big happened junior year, and everything I’d worked for was at risk. I went into Mrs. Fields’ office in a panic. She heard me out and then said to me, “You are more than this situation. You are more than what they say you are, and you’re more than what you think you are. There's a big life planned for you; I can feel it. You just have to hang in there and do your best while you're at it.” After leaving Mrs. Fields’ office, I continued to push.