I first discovered digital art in my junior year of high school (2001) and immediately fell in love with it—and I’ve been devoted to it ever since. My educational journey began with an Associate’s degree in Electronic Media, focusing on web design and video production, followed by a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts from Ohio University. I had originally intended to graduate with a BFA in Fine Arts in 2007, but life had other plans: shortly after being accepted into the School of Fine Arts, I found out I was expecting my daughter. I completed my degree at a local OU campus while raising her—and later my son—graduating three years later with both a diploma and two little ones (a three-year-old daughter and an eight-month-old baby boy).

During college, I worked in my family’s screen printing and embroidery business, where I designed T-shirts, signs, and banners. That hands-on work grounded me in both design and the realities of applied art.

Fast forward to today—I’m 40, a mother to two amazing teenagers (a senior and a freshman), and I continue to work in the family business, which has since evolved into wrapping amusement rides and concession trailers. We now cater to the carnival and amusement park industry, providing bold, high-quality artwork for rides, food stands, safety signage, entryways, truss joints, and three-dimensional installations. Alongside this, I take on freelance design projects as needed.

More recently, my creative path has expanded into personal healing and self-discovery. Over the past eight months, I’ve been on a spiritual journey—exploring tarot journaling, meditation, and crystal work. It hasn’t always been easy, but it has been deeply transformative and necessary. I discovered this program while exploring graduate studies in art therapy, and with one of my teens possibly considering a similar path, it felt like the right time to dive in and get my feet wet.

Art has always been at the center of my life—whether through design, healing, or connection—and I’m excited to see where this next chapter leads.