I was adopted when I was one year old. My experiences as an adoptee raised in a closed adoption are an integral part of my life story. Unlike most people, I had to fight to uncover my own origin story. I am proud of who I am, where I come from, and what I've overcome -- this is why I've become a visionary, justice-oriented leader who is committed to children's rights, social justice, and dismantling systems that marginalize and exploit communities. 

My story continues in Champaign, Illinois. After graduating with distinction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a B.S. in Molecular & Cellular Biology, I was accepted to a PhD program in Biomedical Sciences at Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. I chose to defer graduate education for a year and I stayed in Champaign, where I started tutoring college students in math, science, and writing. I discovered my passion for expanding opportunities to education in the community where I was raised, so I started a learning center called        Illini Tutoring LLC to help middle school, high school, and college students be successful in school. Along with my business partner, I developed programming, managed and developed talent, wrote content for our company's website and employee manuals, communicated with clients, and managed our brand using storytelling techniques.

I earned a certification in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and I have taught English in Ukraine and Russia. 

I was awarded the title of Woman of Distinction in Business in 2015. I was the lead organizer for the 2017 March for Science: Champaign-Urbana and I helped lead Women-Owned Business Circle of Champaign-Urbana. I have both organized and spoken on panels related to science, education, and antiracism within public education.

I ran a winning campaign for the Champaign Unit School District Board of Education in 2019, in which I was the only non-incumbent elected among all municipal races. 

During my time on the Board of Education, I accomplished many of the goals that were part of my social justice-focused campaign platform. I made significant contributions to strategic planning and to writing mission and vision statements for the district. I co-authored the first antiracism resolution for a school district in the state of Illinois, which has led to massive structural changes since the resolution's implementation 2020.

I was elected as Resolutions Chair to the Illini Division of the Illinois Association of School Boards in April 2021. I deeply researched IASB's resolutions process, and then I wrote and advocated for three original resolutions aimed at increasing funding for public education and promoting school board work among people who have been traditionally discouraged from participating in local government. I also worked with school board members across the state to write their own resolutions that were student-centric and that were strategically developed to unite IASB membership for the benefit of Illinois's students. Many of these resolutions were approved by the state school board delegate assembly and adopted as official IASB positions.  

​I loved serving on the Champaign Unit School District 4 Board of Education. Serving as both a member and parliamentarian gave me substantial opportunities to be a leading voice during strategic planning, policy writing and adoption, hiring a new superintendent, and navigating through moments of crisis. I had many opportunities to learn from people with very diverse perspectives and life experiences.

I am a visionary leader who deeply analyzes problems and leads a coalition of community members to build sustainable solutions. I am a strategic risk taker who views problems as opportunities for growth and improvement. I am an ever-evolving lifelong learner who advocates for effective local governance through policy and through developing genuine relationships with the communities I serve.