Biography

I grew up in the southwest suburbs just outside of Chicago. After years of playing sports as a kid, a single decision to not try out for the volleyball team and instead audition for the school musical set me on a course I never could've seen coming. Since that moment, my passion has only grown. 

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Despite my unfortunate track record of closing down schools (my grammar school & both high schools I attended have since shut their doors), I am a proud graduate of the still-operating Illinois State University. I finished out my academic career with a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre – Acting (Summa Cum Laude). I was a member of Playback Theatre, an improv troupe, for three years. I spent two of those years serving on the board as the integrity chair in order to make sure it was a safe space for all involved. I participated in Freestage, which is a student-led production organization that put on multiple shows per semester. I was on that board as co-marketing chair. I very much value community and collaboration, so it was important to me that I was active and involved in my studies / department. During my time in college, I was nominated twice for the Irene Ryan Award through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (for my performances in Richard III & Little Women). I received a basic pass from the Society of American Fight Directors for Rapier and Dagger. In addition to the required acting classes needed to complete the major, I maximized all that ISU’s School of Theatre and Dance had to offer by taking electives such as stage combat, mask, solo performance (focusing on a self-written, directed, and performed piece), and advanced stage makeup (concentration in special effects). Having a wide array of experiences is what has kept me well-rounded.

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Between a global pandemic, transferring high schools, and transferring colleges, I am no stranger to change. These pivotal moments have made me more adaptable, ever-willing to persevere. I graduated as the last valedictorian of Queen of Peace High School before the big move. Spoiler alert: it was community college, and it ended up being one of the best choices I’d ever make. During my years at Moraine Valley Community College, I earned an Associate of Arts degree focusing on Drama (Summa Cum Laude). I worked as the assistant for the head of the theatre department, and I got to do some really special shows. Hair was actually the first production I was cast in as a college student, and I believe that it gave me the courage and inspiration I needed to press forward... which makes sense since I had come from an all-girls Catholic school prior to then.

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A majority of my life up until this point has been spent in school, which is a privilege I do not take lightly. Learning has always excited me, and when I was younger, I had a reputation among my teachers of asking a looooot of questions. My innate curiosity and inquisitive nature has been my driving force after all this time. Because of it, I am able to move through the world with an open mind and heart. Even after all these years, there's many, many things I still don't know. That's what makes art so special to me. I get to learn all the time: from colleagues, characters, stories, history, and on and on. My interest (and questions) in so many different topics fuels me as an actor because the more I can try new things, explore, and step outside of my comfort zone, the more I can connect to others. I can better be a part of the narratives I’m telling by allowing those different facets of myself to run wild. The world can feel immensely daunting at times, and I want to use the voice that I do have to navigate this experience – for myself and others.