Who

I am an adventure seeker! Being outdoors continually rejuvenates me and provides a sense of self. At some point, I ended up taking my camera outside. I grew up with the Blue Ridge Mountains in my backyard. In the summer of 2024, I completed a northbound thru-hike on the John Muir Trail. In 2022, I completed a southbound thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. Other outdoor highlights include a night-time summit on Mt. Fuji, Japan for a sunrise; skiing Jungfrau, the 'roof of Europe,' in the Swiss Alps; and hill walking through West Ireland's Connemara wilderness. Exploration shapes my personal philosophies as well as my pedagogies as an educator.

Where

I am currently in Houston, TX. This summer, I have been chipping away at visiting as many National Parks, Monuments, Forests as well as state parks as I can. Previously, I was in Salt Lake City, UT skiing and hiking on weekends. Before that, Durham, North Carolina; riding my bike and running on the Mountain to Sea Trail. Before that, I was back in the Blue Ridge Mountains while attending Virginia Tech and hiked almost every weekend. Early adulthood was spent in Philadelphia for undergrad (and I struggled to consistently find the outdoor environment I love).

What

As of the summer of 2024, I finished another year as a public school special education teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah. I completed an MEd in Special Education from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Previously, I completed a Master of Arts from the Political Science Department at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In 2015, I completed my undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Saint Joseph’s University in West Philadelphia. 

When

Most of my photography portfolio comes from the spring of 2014, during which I studied abroad at the National University of Ireland, Galway. As of 2024, I’m returning to photography and looking for ways to reconnect being outside, education, and visual art.

Why

I draw inspiration from the creative process. Creativity as a sense of self outside formulates into “projects.” I hope to post my explorations outside and share how adventuring shapes my identity as an educator.