Although I have an athletic background and appearance, most people are surprised that I am an avid reader whose favorite genre is Fantasy!
I have known since I was a high school student that I wanted to be in the helping field. I pursued my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with and emphasis in child and family development, and immediately went to work in direct care in a residential treatment setting. After cutting my cloth in residential treatment, I combined my passion for the outdoors with my passion for working with adolescents and worked as a field instructor for a wilderness therapy program. While I loved this work, my need to balance work and family life brought me to the world of therapeutic boarding schools, where I worked in various direct care and leadership roles while also getting my master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. While I remained passionate about working with at risk youth, my path was taking me towards leadership and administration. While in leadership roles, I created and operated a wilderness hybrid therapy program and served as an executive director of a therapeutic boarding school.
Such a tough question, as I have multiple bucket list locations! The short answer is somewhere with good fishing! I would love to spend time in Patagonia, Alaska, and New Zealand to name a few…
I love spending time with my family and watching my little girl develop and grow. Whether with my family, or with friends, I am an avid outdoorsman, and enjoy multiple activities that take me outside. I am an avid fly fisherman, big game hunter, and snowboarder, so have an outdoor hobby for every season.
There are so many! A couple books that stand out are Tuesday’s with Morrie and A Man’s Search for Meaning. Both books have so many important lessons, but share the general theme to make the most out of life and find meaning in everything you can because you never know when your time when your time will be up.
I love being part of the change process with youth. I am an optimist by nature and love seeing the transformation from a sense of hopelessness to one of hope and unlimited potential. While it is hard work for all involved, there is no greater reward than one changed life.