I  came across the field of interior design while I was studying studio art at the University of Southern Indiana.  Feeling that the on campus housing was not condusive to my wellbeing I decided to move of campus, and live in a 120 square foot rv camper.  I had to completely redesign the interior to be able to fit my needs.   This redesign lead me to the broad world of interior design.  I then transferred to Purdue University to study interior design in an accredited program.

`

I believe this life experience plus many others has helped shape me into a person that the interior design industry needs.  A person that not only will have the technical skills, but has add real life experience in a diverse range of environments.  I was raised in rural Indiana by a single mother that taught me the benefit of being able to live alternatively. Growing up in a low-income family has instilled in me a good work ethic, social empathy, and a capacity for creative solutions.  I have also lived abroad in Zagreb, Croatia for a year, as a 16-year-old exchange student.  Being able to travel throughout Europe gave me the opportunity to be exposed to a varied range of architecture and interiors. 

​

My goal as a designer is to be apart of a team that not only creates beautiful, engaging environments, but uses their skills to address larger societal issue.  Issues like climate change, recidivism in offenders, homelessness, affordable housing, wellbeing, reliable healthcare, mental healthcare, and even political engagement.  It is my passions for improving lives that makes me a valuable designer.  I honestly believe as designers, as problem solvers, that if we see a problem we should fix it. This can be done by having open collaborative discussions, using the power of multiple individuals to achieve solutions.  

​

I know the decisions I make as a designer have an impact on a global scale. I often find myself diving deep into the research portion of my project, and find that evidence-based design is the upmost of importance.  As a former studio art major, using my creative mind comes naturally, but it is interior design that really allowed me to grow into understanding that this creativity can be channeled into so much more.   Now my creative expression is combined with problem solving and credible research to obtain innovative solutions for a built environments. 

​

I am unafraid to embrace life. I hope to bring this fearlessness to interior design to push the norms and trends of design.  I believe that the majority of designers get stuck and do not progress in field because of a denial of instinctive design.  By this I mean, I believe in all of us is an innate ability to design structurally sound and emotionally full-filling spaces.  This idea is no different than a bird’s instinctive ability to construct a perfect home for themselves and their young. I would like to explore this concept more as I progress as a professional in the design industry.