I was born and raised in the small city of Orillia, Ontario. During my time as a high school student,  my first experience as a teacher was coaching young kids in basketball, soccer, and ski racing. In my years as a high school student, I found a love of the physical sciences. I completed an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and a masters degree in Molecular Science from the former Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). Following this, I worked for EcoPoly solutions for a year researching oxobiodegradable plastics for use as agricultural films. I then when on to start a PhD in Chemistry at Simon Fraser University where I studied thin film ion conductive membranes for use in hydrogen fuel cells. During my studies as a Masters student and time a PhD candidate, I had the pleasure to work as a teaching assistant where I instructed undergraduate students in both lab and classroom settings. This experience showed me that I would rather be teaching than working as a researcher. I left SFU before finishing my PhD in order to pursue a career in teaching and have been working towards that ever since.

Beyond teaching, I am interested in a wide variety of things. I love learning and absorb as much information as I can. In this, I have a long list of topics I am actively working through to learn and grow. For fun, I enjoy board games and pen and paper role playing games with friends.