My Story

I am a work in progress.  I am always striving to be the best I can be.  I hope what I share will inspire you to live it up.  I believe that our roadblocks and how we navigate them are ultimately what define us and grow us.  I choose to welcome them, and I hope that you do too.  

As a child, I almost got held back a grade in elementary school.  I remember struggling so hard with math in particular.  My grades were less than stellar and I didn’t believe in myself.  The one thing I felt that I had going for me was tennis.  I was a very consistent player and could win matches. As I got older and my confidence in tennis grew, it spilled over into academics.  I gained more interest in school and advanced placement classes. My grades were better but not top of the class.  I had some dreams that I’m sure many would have considered crazy.  But they happened once I started driving for them.

More than anything, I wanted to go to college at the University of Michigan.  I was waitlisted 3 times (yes, there was an extra extended wait list).  I retook my ACT twice, I called the university relentlessly!  I rewrote essays, and I asked my teachers to write letters of recommendation.  In August, I was admitted for the fall semester, and September was coming fast.  That lit a fire inside of me!  I studied my buns off and got a 4.0 in my first semester, something I never came close to with my 3.3 average GPA in high school.

GO BLUE!!!

I always thought of being an engineer, but I didn’t think I had it in me.  But I went for it.  In my junior year of college, I officially changed majors.  I almost flunked Physics and I absolutely hated the intro level mechanical and electrical engineering classes. But this girl who thought she sucked at math managed to get A’s in all her 4 semesters of calculus and went on to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Industrial and Operations Engineering.   She also found the best tutor on earth and decided that she better marry him because he was a keeper!

I love this man!

I have had jobs that I have loved and others that made me leave work crying every night.  I made both experiences a learning.  I have run a couple of businesses and found successes and learnings (NOT failures) in both.  I have won some certifications and awards along the way in my career.  I recently co authored a book.  This fulfilled a lifelong dream that I have had since childhood, to be a published author.

Trust me that I am not perfect.  Here’s what has gone on outside of the paper resume.  Real life, folks!  Let’s get vulnerable!

I have lost 26 pounds and gained it all back on the way to eating disorder recovery.

I have survived post partum depression twice.

I have had personal loss, surgeries, and health scares.

And every day, I am thankful for not being perfect, but for trusting myself that I can show up every day and be the best version of myself on that day for my family.  

That doesn’t mean I will be all put together, but it does mean that I will do my best, and keep doing better every day.  I hope I can inspire you to be your best self too!