I was born and raised in the Grand Haven, Michigan area. Growing up, I spent much of my time playing sports like dance and lacrosse, being outside, and volunteering. At an early age, I started volunteering in my church's children's ministry, which is where I developed my love for mentoring children. 

After high school, I went to Purdue University where I studied elementary education with a concentration in reading. Throughout my time in college, I was part of the Purdue All-American Marching Band and was active in my sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. I took on leadership roles within my sorority such as Philanthropy Chair and participated in committees in the areas of ritual and standards. 

In 2019, I joined the Purdue College of Education's student teaching pilot program where I spent a full year in a third-grade classroom but also had professional development opportunities, and the ability to substitute teach in other classrooms within my building, all while finishing my last couple of classes before my internship. I had my student teaching experience in 2020 and had to adjust to finishing out my program online due to the global pandemic. 

In 2020, I began teaching fifth-grade grade in Coopersville, Michigan at South Elementary School. Within my first year, I joined my school's PBIS committee and took on the coaching role the year after.