I grew up on a small farm in North Carolina with my two siblings and parents. I have a sister named Jessica that is three years older than me, as well as a brother named Hunter thats five years younger. We also grew up with numerous pets and animals around all the time.

Until Freshman year, I attended a highly rated charter school when I lived in North Carolina. After my freshman year, my mom, brother and I all moved across the country to Las Vegas. I attended a very small charter school in Vegas that opened the year before and involved myself there. I was a part of the volleyball team, Student Council, and other various clubs and organizations they offered. By the time our class made it to senior year, we had 50 students in our graduating class and we were the first to graduate from the school. It was a very unique experience because I got know what it was like to set a legacy and build something from the ground up.

In the beginning of my senior year I got to visit San Diego with my step-dad and brother and we went to the zoo here, where I got to feed giraffes. I never really knew what I was going to do with my future, but animals are something I’ve always been passionate about. Feeding giraffes was kind of my ‘a-ha’ moment. I realized my love for animals was something I could and wanted to pursue as a career. I also fell in love with San Diego and discovered it was where I wanted to be for school and where I could really thrive.