I love everything to do with color. My art often embraces raw emotion, transformation, coming into one’s power, and a balance between light and dark. I paint with acrylics and oils and play with alcohol inks. I started painting a year ago as I was struggling to find my identity after becoming a mom. It started as a creative outlet but become a way to find myself again.

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 a woman of faith, and I use that to help people to reach their potential. I am proud to lead an organization that welcomes refugees and asylees and helps them to be self-sufficient and to become productive and contributing members of our community. I am also inspired by people who are successful in making an impact to transform people's lives.