Can you give me a brief timeline of how your career led you to UIS?

I earned my degree in Journalism from Marquette University and worked in communications for area nonprofit organizations for several years. After a few years in the for-profit world, several in a local high school and a few months doing contract work, I was inspired to return to communication work specifically, in education. Each of my past experiences gave me skills that I use in my day-to-day work!

What’s the most rewarding project you have worked on?

When I was working for The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) at the Hope Institute for Children and Families, I was a project lead on “Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism.” It was a national town hall meeting held in Chicago at the UIC Forum. We coordinated with satellite sites across the country and with key stakeholders in programming for autistic adults. I helped to coordinate site logistics, communication tactics and event-day execution. I learned so much about communication, collaboration, and sharing success with a team. That event was a jumping-off point for the rest of my career and remains one of the most rewarding professional experiences I’ve ever had.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work, I am a member of the Springfield Choral Society and an active volunteer at Blessed Sacrament Parish. I’m very close with my family and friends and spend as much time with them as I can—especially my two rambunctious nephews, Fred and George. When I’m not with loved ones, I enjoy quieter hobbies like quilting, reading, and baking.

What’s something important you’ve learned from your family?

My parents taught me, my brother and my sister how important our friendships are – that family can stretch and grow to encompass the many people that we love and spend time with. They also taught us how important it is to stand up for what we believe to be true and right.

Have you traveled to any interesting places?

I spent two years after college as a professional volunteer with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps: Northwest. I lived in Seattle for a year, and followed it with a year in Bethel, Alaska. Bethel is about 500 miles west of Anchorage and only accessible by plane. The winter was dark – only about 4 hours of daylight each day – and cold. I had to walk to work more than once with a -60-degree wind chill. But on the flip side, summer was almost never-ending daylight, which almost made the darkness worth it.

Some of my favorite memories from the year are when my housemates and I were race officials for the Kuskokwim 300, a dogsled race, and standing in the middle of a frozen river to watch the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, since it wasn’t dark enough for them on July 4.