Background & Education
I was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi. But in the 4th grade my family made a sudden move to Seattle! Talk about a life jolt! I went from southern belles to grunge rock overnight! My father had a six-month work project there so my time was short in the Pacific Northwest, but boy was it memorable. From there we moved to Nashville where we stayed for eighteen months before finally settling in New Orleans. That was 10 years ago this past December.
I jumped right in as a 6th grade student at Isidore Newman School and quickly met a group of fantastic friends. My high school life was engaging and fun, except for the COVID year, which couldn’t end soon enough! For college I decided to join my brother at the University of Montana…a world away from New Orleans. The experiment didn’t last long as I greatly missed the Big Easy. I turned tail and headed back home after my first semester…that place was COLD, y’all!
Back in New Orleans I continued my studies while engaging in meaningful work. I knew I wanted to be around kids, and I felt a special calling to teach or instruct in some way. I found outlets for this in becoming a nanny and gymnastics instructor, both of which scratched an itch for starting my own business.
In 2024 I completed the Digital Media and Marketing Communications training program at Tulane University. My vision now is to leverage my experience with kids and their engagement patterns with successful digital media strategies for individuals and businesses. I’ve been blessed to have some early clients allow me to work with them on their digital journeys.
Personal Insights
Every person has a story. And every person has the wear and tear of life that goes with their story. I think we get so focused on our destination sometimes that we forget it’s the journey that defines us. As I look back over my life to date there are important moments that have certainly defined me.
Parents & Family: I won the lottery on this one! My parents have loved me through all my weirdness and uncertainties. They never wavered in being role models for me. They never shied away from showing me their faults, their pains, and their joys. They are authentic people who love me. Their faith inspires me. My family has history, not all of it ends in joy, sometimes it has ended in great sorrow. But my family is a rock for me. My parents and family have given me a foundation to build my life upon…I’m blessed!
Moving: Moving from Jackson, Mississippi to Seattle, Washington, to Nashville, Tennessee, and then to New Orleans, Louisiana has made me a smarter person, one who can better understand differences in people…their beliefs, their habits, their idiosyncrasies. Moving also made me stronger and wiser…unafraid of change and new ways of thinking in life. I’m thankful for the journey and I’m eager to see where my path leads in the future…I’m confident I can make the trek!
Finishing: High school, college classes, professional certification…I’m a better person for finishing these things. There were days when I didn’t know if I had the stamina or resolve to move forward or take the next step. But gritting it out, pushing myself, being uncomfortable at times…it has made me a better person…thankful for the work and excited about the future.
Losing My Brothers: We were a family of 6. I lost two of my brothers to drug overdoses…Miller when I was 14 and Gray when I was 18. The pain of these loses is hard to describe. It wasn’t just my pain; it was my family’s pain…seeing these loses break my parents’ hearts was excruciating. These loses still haunt my brother Daniel and me. In ways it brought us closer. In ways it shaped our future lives. It taught me about loss and suffering. But while these loses are part of who I am, they don’t define me…something greater exists for that!
Finding My Peace: I find my peace in life through my Christian faith. I’m thankful I have witnesses and examples in my parents, family, friends, and church community who walk alongside me and encourage me. It’s my strength for today and my hope for tomorrow. It has comforted me in my darkest days, and it will see me through my future.
Professional Journey
From running around New Orleans as a full-time Nanny, to teaching youngsters as a gymnastics instructor, to my current role pioneering digital media projects, I've always been driven to inspire and educate. My professional journey has focused on engaging people of every age and now leveraging digital tools to enhance communication and relationships.
Nannying Experience: I’ve had the distinct pleasure of providing comprehensive nanny services to families in the New Orleans area. A typical day in this life includes: before and after school transportation, activities transportation and monitoring, at home supervision, teaching and homework help, feeding, bathing, and general support tasks to achieve family unity and quality time when together. To this day I still manage to stay involved with my work families and assist them as needed when my time allows.
NOLA Gymnastics: I got hooked on gymnastics in high school, not that I was all that great at it, but I loved the confidence it gave me, and I loved the coaches who inspired me. When my old coach asked me to help at a summer camp for younger kids…I jumped at the chance. My enthusiasm for coaching was obvious and I was given a chance to work on a regular basis as a coach, which continues to inspire me each day.
Digital Media Specialist: I spent the past two years of my life at Tulane University working toward my certificate in Digital Media and Marketing Communications. As a Generation Z’eer, devices and social media have been ingrained in my daily life since I got my first phone at 12. But I wanted to really understand the nuances of how communications worked, not just in their online delivery, but in the way the mind ingests and processes information in different ways. My professors at Tulane helped me explore these concepts and develop a plan for building a business to help others leverage digital media and communications in effective ways. I’m now on my way helping companies and individuals in this enterprise.