While most military children constantly move, I only moved once from Illinois to Chesapeake, Virginia, at the age of three.  My parents believe heavily in giving back, and so I began to join them in volunteering at the age of four.  Four was a big year for me, for several reasons, but mainly because it was also the year that I was introduced to the arts. I learned how to read, play the piano, and sing. I was introduced to opera for the first time and it was the beginning of my classical training! And through volunteering, I was able to further my skills and love of music through serving others, which ultimately became the foundation for my platform, Peer Empowerment and Community Engagement (P.E.A.C.E). 

I remain an avid volunteer to this day and encourage others to find their passion and give back. Currently, I have over 7,800 volunteer hours. During my externship with NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), I learned that there was a real need for education and awareness for human trafficking and to help and demand an end to missing children, human trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. So in 2017, in addition to continuing to encourage and inspire youth to become active in their community, I changed my platform to Demand an End: Stop Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking. 

There were some challenges growing up, as I transitioned from private school to public school in the 3rd grade, I was diagnosed with a speech impediment and couldn't say the letter/words with "r" like "girl, world, work, word, fur, rabbit, etc. I was placed into special education for speech and visited once a week by a speech pathologist. I also became a great speller and spelling bee champion, since many could not understand certain words I would attempt to say. The word I spelled to win one of my championships was "walrus". And heading into 7th/8th grade, I was diagnosed with scoliosis, causing pelvis obliquity and discrepancies in the length of my legs. To remedy the pain and discomfort, my regiment includes core strengthening, back massage therapy, yoga, and other exercises.

As for my education, in 2013, I graduated with honors with an advanced diploma from “The Hickory High School” and a member of Governor School for the Arts, vocal department. I then received a four-year scholarship to Hollins University upon winning Miss Virginia’s Outstanding Teen 2012 and completed my undergraduate studies in three years with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Music, graduating Cum Laude in 2016.  While at school, I served as a mentor in the Early Transition Program, Black Student Alliance, Tour Guide, Admissions panelist, a student leader on the Jamaican Cultural Immersion Program for two years where I traveled to Jamaica during my spring break, and President of the Sandusky Service House.  Senior year, I also followed in my mother’s footsteps by becoming a woman of the most illustrious sisterhood, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.  After graduating from Hollins, I was accepted into George Washington University (GWU) to pursue my M.A in Forensic Psychology and graduated in December of 2017 with a 3.85 GPA, Summa Cum Lauda. And, In October 2020, I received my 2nd Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from GWU, Summa Cum Lauda. Currently, I am a fourth-year clinical psychology doctoral candidate at GWU, becoming the first “Dr.” in my family. One of my greatest and proudest moments was being selected as a 2nd generation naval officer, at the age of 23! I was sworn in by my parents on 15 June 2019! My shoulder boards were those of my mom's when she was commissioned as a naval officer to the rank of Ensign!  You may view the commissioning video under the "Media" tab. My fur baby boy, Knowles, entered my life on 13 July 2018!

One of the most profound moments in my life that made me recognize the importance of music was when I was able to see the correlation between music and the mind.  My first voice teacher, Mr, Bob, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when I was 12, which caused us to stop voice lessons. Due to the severity of his Alzheimer’s, I was unable to visit with him until I was around 13 or 14 years old.  However, we were able to reconnect through our love for music.