Personal Bio

My parents married at a very young age. I was born 2 years later and by the time I turned 2 years old they were already divorced. I spent the next 9 years living in a very unhealthy home with my mother and an alcoholic, abusive stepfather and 4 half-siblings. At the age of 11, I moved in with my dad with literally nothing more than the clothes on my back. Being a young, single dad with no formal education and working as a laborer in a factory, my dad, along with the help of my grandparents, did the best they could to raise me. Because of this, my dad is, and always will be, my hero. After high school, I started college at Kent State University, but, for various reasons, dropped out after one quarter. I began working a full-time job as a secretary and continued working my part-time job in retail on nights and weekends. After 6 months I realized I didn’t like being a secretary and didn’t want to spend the rest of my life making minimum wage at a job that, quite frankly, I was terrible at and would eventually get fired from. So, at the age of 19, I fumbled my way through the enrollment process at YSU, and with no clear vision what I actually wanted to do, began classes the next fall. Fast-forward four years, I graduated with a BSBA in Marketing Management and started working in manufacturing. After a few years of that, I returned to YSU to obtain my MBA. Upon graduating with my MBA, I became a Media Planner & Buyer for an ad agency before being hired by YSU as a fundraiser. From there, I worked my way up over the next 8 years before being recruited to the YSU Foundation to assist with fundraising and internal operations. I have remained at that position ever since and, along with my colleagues, have been growing the Foundation and building an amazing, cohesive team. In addition to all that, I have two wonderful children, love working out, and am very interested in health and wellness.

Personal Stats

Hometown Name

Boardman, OH

education

Newton Falls High School; Youngstown State University undergraduate and graduate degrees

profession

Internal Operations & HR

industry

Non-profit

what are you passionate about

Financial independence, health and wellness

fun fact

I was my high school mascot

“When I was struggling to find my way in college and unsure of my career path, I was told to just get my degree and then explore opportunities. While never said directly to me, I have heard others say that it doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down it’s how quickly you get up. So true!“