How did you discover your passion for what you do, and what opportunities have helped shape your career?

To be honest, I did not know this was my passion until I did. I did a lot of volunteer work growing up, and I loved it. It made my heart happy to be a part of something bigger (oftentimes not knowing how big). As I got older, I took a major interest in psychology, studying the brain function and how it tied in with behavior; it was all so fascinating. My personal values, and my hope for individuals to be better than they are, encouraged me to pursue a career where I can, on a daily basis, help people heal, overcome and become.

What words of wisdom or advice do you live by?

I live knowing that although I cannot change my past, what I have done or has happened to me; I can change the way I decide to move forward. I get to use my experiences (good or bad) in meaningful ways. It’s about perception, about “seeing the glass half full rather than half empty.”