In my family, teaching is the family business. My parents are teachers. My sister is a teacher. So, as a nerdy, academically overachieving college applicant, I decided to become a teacher. A college teacher. My undergraduate years found me at Harvey Mudd College, studying chemistry.

Competing with classmates with International Baccalaureate backgrounds who had been programming for years put into perspective how woefully underprepared my small rural high school had left me. But I found a home at Mudd, creating the first LGBTQ+ student group and leading new student orientation programs that made space for people of all backgrounds to succeed. Onward to graduate school at Northwestern University. Just one small problem. What no one tells you about graduate school is that success means becoming the world’s leading expert at one very specific thing – and I’m someone who wants to know a little about a lot of things.

A dilatant or a generalist, depending on your perspective. That realization took me to an unexpected career in healthcare communications. I’ve grown from a Junior Copywriter to Executive Creative Director in just under 20 years. I’ve won business for the agency, and the occasional award. I lead our pro bono work with the Tegan and Sara Foundation. I’m currently serving as a mentor in the 4As Vanguard program, and as an executive mentor in the Omnicom Health Group Black Career Collective. I’ve won business, and the occasional award. But it turns out, I’m still a teacher. A teacher of creatives.