I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida. Growing up, I was active in Student Government, chorus, rowing, and Boy Scouts, eventually earning my Eagle Scout rank. For college, I stayed in my hometown and graduated from Florida State University, where I earned a Bachelors of Science in Food Science and Nutrition. While in college, I traveled, volunteered at community health centers, and performed research focusing on exosome populations among lung cancer cells and commercially available milk (I also took a couple classes). After graduating from college, I worked as a private tutor and a substitute teacher in school districts in North Florida. I found this work to be very engaging and rewarding, and, eventually, I decided to pursue teaching credentials in Biology and Chemistry. For the past four years, I taught core middle school science and a health careers and science elective at Cobb Middle School in Tallahassee, and I loved engaging with my school community there. I just moved to San Diego this past summer for the weather and to be closer to my brother.