I am working to embrace minimalism, a process that identifies the things most important to me and removing the rest.  This movement refocuses your life on relationships, moments, joy, creation, not things.

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I'm still a fan of the occasional shopping trip, but by trying to remove the unnecessary I find myself more able to savor things I enjoy: coffee, laughing, conversations, walks from one place to another, Beyonce, chicken wings, piano music, martial arts, my two cats, and really great books.



These are some of the things that give me life, and I am trying to indulge in a few of them every day.

I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, nurtured to be a lifelong learner.  I have a younger brother, Alden, and two amazing parents.   From a young age my parents have encouraged my brother and me to pursue excellence, education, hard work, and to stay rooted in family.  

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Growing up in a bi-cultural home was extremely difficult at times as a first-generation student, but has taught me so much about who I am and the rich background from which I come.  The connection I have to my family has strengthened over the years as I have come to truly appreciate the sacrifices they have made to give me something they never had.  They are the roots to my branch, and I owe a lot to them.

Basics

Life Giving

Passions

I remember as a child I loved singing in my house, but was terrified to sing in front of other people the same way.  I joined choir sophomore year of high school and fell in love with vocal music.  By being part of that ensemble I slowly discovered my own voice, strengthening it to be a valuable addition to the chorus.  My senior year, the director of the theater department, Kent Knutson, took a risk and assigned me the lead in the musical Jekyll & Hyde.  He encouraged me and worked with me- until I became fully confident in my voice on stage.  That moment was when I brought my inner voice to the outside, and it changed my life.



To this day, my philosophy as an educator is very much to help students discover their own voices.  As melody can be enriched by harmony, I think we all have a part to add to the piece.