Hello! I am a proud two-time first-generation college graduate of the University of Iowa. I earned a BBA in Management in 2005, and my MA in Higher Education Administration and Policy in 2018. I started working at the University of Iowa in February 2001. I've held various positions throughout my time here on campus and earned both of my degrees while continuing to work full-time (doing graduate school with two young children). I grew up in rural Iowa on a family farm just 10 miles from Iowa City. I grew up during the era of fantastic music, the 1980's farm crisis, and the rise of technology (I hated learning how to use a computer so much that I once told my school librarian I would never go into a career that required me to use a computer or this stupid thing she called the internet). During this time, there was also mounting expectations among my peers that we would all go to college after high school, regardless of whether or not we knew how or where to do this.

My college journey began at a small private college in Indiana, where I struggled (a lot!) and dropped out near the end of my second year. Eventually, I returned to college out of spite (if my twin brother could earn a college degree, so could I!). It wasn't until over 10 years later that I first heard the term "first-generation," and that's when I finally understood why my college experience seemed so different from my peers. That was also about the time I discovered a deep desire to support and celebrate other first-gen students. I currently serve as an Associate Director in Academic Support and Retention. In my work with preparing students for college and leading the campus-wide 1stGen@Iowa initiative, I get to support, advocate for, and celebrate students who identify as first-gen every single day. I feel honored to have this important role and look forward to continued opportunities to serve and celebrate our first-gen students in this capacity.