I grew up on the East coast, primarily in Charleston, SC. After attending the University of Richmond for my undergraduate degree, I moved up to northern Virginia in 2006 and taught upper school English at a small PK-12 independent school for 5 years. During my time there, I completed an MA in Literature at George Mason University. I moved to the deep south in 2011 and both taught and studied at Auburn University in Alabama for 5 years. I completed a PhD in English in 2016 in Literature of the African Diaspora (a senior elective course I now teach here at OES) and Women's Studies (with a focus on Black feminist theory). I've been a faculty member at OES since 2016. I love reading, talking about books, hiking, camping, being outdoors, traveling, and doing/teaching yoga and mindfulness. I also live on campus as a dorm parent, and you'll frequently see me out walking my large dog, Mandela.