My parents always encouraged creativity in my brothers and I, and I have been doodling, drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. From reflections contest in elementary school, to art competitions in highschool—I have always seen my ideas most clearly in my sketchbooks and on my canvases.

After attending the University of Idaho and graduating with honors and an Art major emphasizing graphic & web design in the spring of 2002, I moved back to Walla Walla for a design job at Full Circle Creative. After a year spent working in the creative industry, I itched for some adventure and was eager to see what life outside of Walla Walla might offer me. In the fall of 2003 my backpack and I set off on a two month journey to see as much art and experience as much adventure as possible. I traveled western Europe—France, Italy, Belgium, England, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Upon my return from Europe my heart and mind were full of inspiration, and my soul was full of adventure. I had the opportunity to live in the mid-south, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In the spirit of my recent adventurous lifestyle, I packed up my car and headed south to give life in the south a try. I lived and worked in Oklahoma City for 8 months before being called back to Walla Walla. Through a gracious friend I was recommended for a design position at RBS Interactive, a home improvement and automotive services company based online and located in the Die Brucke building in Walla Walla. After 3 phone interviews my employer and I were convinced that we would be a good fit for one another. As a result I worked at RBS Interactive as the senior designer until November 2005. At this time I had discovered a National Laboratory located nearby, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. I wanted to take what I had been learning about website design to a more scientific level. I wanted to explore the psychology of the user. I'm currently a Human Factor Scientist at PNNL and work on a variety of projects and applications throughout the lab. I'm in the process of setting up our UCD (User Centered Design) Team utailzing new ideas I picked up while recently attending UI11, a user interface conference.

Since moving back, I have dug in my heels and am fully involved in the art and wine communities of Walla Walla. Working at Dunham Cellars for a few months gave me insight into the wine making industry and all the wonderful people it has brought to this valley. My spare time is crammed full of freelance design work, painting, drawing and most recently teaching. As I continue to grow artistically, I am thankful to call Walla Walla my hometown. It's bright personality, quiet sounds and friendly people remind me of who I am and provide me with unlimited inspiration.