When I was a kid, my mom and grandmother took me to see my very first Broadway National Tour at Robinson Center in Little Rock, AR. Cats was as exhilarating as it was terrifying and when I saw Macavity’s glowing red eyes I screamed and hid under my chair. My mom was terrified I would never want to step foot in a theater again, but I was obsessed. I didn’t know how but I had to be a part of something that magical.

I graduated from Mount St Mary Academy where I starred in the first ever musical produced by the drama department “Nunsense!”. I went on to pursue my undergraduate studies in vocal music education at the University of Tulsa. Here I became heavily involved in the community theater scene first as an actor, then a teaching artist, then a stage manager. I worked in Tulsa for a decade soaking up any knowledge I could and taking every job opportunity. I learned the art of prop making, designed and built costumes for the first time, built sets, and taught hundreds of students each summer across multiple summer camps.

While working as a stage manager I was recruited to apply for the MFA Directing program at the University of Arkansas by Morgan Hicks, the newly appointed head of the program. For the next three years, I studied directing and arts education under Morgan, who is the founding Educational Director at TheatreSquared. I was given the opportunity to assist incredible directors and educators as well as teach my own classes and direct my own shows. I was encouraged to hone my own artistic process and voice, then was given the time and space to implement them. In this journey I discovered my three C’s: Compassion, Collaboration, and Community.

Following my graduation in May 2026, I am looking for spaces to create compassionate rooms where collaborators are safe to bring their full selves to the table. I want to create collaborative stories to build a stronger community not only within the rehearsal room but also with the audiences we share our stories. I am hoping not only to bring this philosophy to storytelling but also to arts education. I want to advocate and build spaces where students of all ages and talent can learn, experiment, and grow.