Ashley grew up in Baraboo, Wisconsin. As a first-generation college student, she attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she earned a B.S. in Chemistry and History, along with a certificate in Integrated Liberal Studies. She conducted undergraduate research in Professor Jennifer Schomaker’s group, where she began her research career studying light-mediated radical additions to allenes. While unsupervised in the lab she only broke a non-negligible amount of expensive glassware, and after not getting kicked out she learned that she might be able to survive grad school. In Fall 2025, she moved one state over to stay in the great midwest and to start her graduate career at the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, where she is currently conducting research in Professor Melissa Ramirez’s group. Outside the lab, Ashley enjoys her grandma hobbies such as crocheting, and swing dancing, but she also loves watching NHL players fight on live TV.