I have always wanted to learn how to make jewelry, metalsmithing to be exact. During quarantine, I began to explore YouTube videos on the subject. I have been having a blast learning, and there is still so much I want to discover about this medium!

Breaking Beautiful was my first organized effort to advocate for myself and other women. Throughout girlhood, I had received the message that beauty should look a certain way from the media and society. My hair, my body, my skin were all an affront to this standardized definition. As I looked around my college campus, I saw a world of beauty to be celebrated. My intention with this portrait series was to reclaim our power as women to define beauty for ourselves and to give voice to the uniqueness of each individual.

I am an engineer with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, strategy, and innovation most recently serving as the Chief Innovation Officer at Aperam, a multi-billion/yr global manufacturer of stainless steel and specialty alloys. I went from being laughed at when I told professors I wanted to pursue a Ph.D., to leading hundreds of scientists around the world.