Raised in the sprawling Yampa Valley in the mountains of northwest Colorado, I grew up in a small community and with a deep sense of place. I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2002 to pursue an undergraduate degree in Ecological Studies at Seattle University.  In 2006 I wandered down I-5 south to Portland and have been here ever since. I worked in the diverse fields of habitat restoration, herbalism, massage therapy, and environmental education before starting my time in education and facilitation.

My experiences in environmental science, sustainability, and alternative health allowed me to develop a holistic, systems-based lens that I continue to bring to my work. I recognize the interconnections between the various nested systems of our world, and see individuals as whole, complex beings influenced by the relationships, communities, and social institutions within which they are contained.

I have been working with groups of all ages in various settings for over a decade.

Education. I ran the Cascade Education Corps program, an alternative and experiential high school environmental science program, and facilitated and coordinated the Phoenix Program, a social-emotional learning and personal growth youth intensive program. In 2016-17, I collaborated with two other women to create Root Down Rise Up, a program for teen girls focused on self-discovery, nature connection, and community leadership. Most recently, I developed and taught the first Human Services CTE pathway in Oregon at Creekside Community High School, an alternative high school in Tigard that centers social-emotional learning and restorative justice.

Facilitation. I received my Level 1 Challenge Course Certification in 2012 and have been using ropes courses as a tool for individual and group transformation ever since. I have designed and facilitated teambuilding programs for groups of educators, business teams, military programs, college students, and non-profit organizations.

I have an undergraduate degree in Ecological Studies from Seattle University and a Masters of Science in Teaching from Portland State University, with a focus on ecology and sustainability education. I completed a research study and thesis focused on the integration of place-based experiential education and social-emotional learning for at-risk youth: “Connecting to Nature, Community, and Self: A Conservation Corps Approach to Re-engaging At-Risk Youth in Science Education.”

I am a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, having completed a two-year teacher training program with Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach.

I’m currently pursuing trainer certification in the Neurosequential Model of Education, a model of understanding human behavior through the lens of neuroscience, brain development, and childhood trauma developed by Dr. Bruce Perry.

Other professional trainings I have completed include:

The Heart of Facilitation. Partners for Youth Empowerment and Center for Equity and Inclusion. 2016-17.

Urban Permaculture Design Course. City Repair Project. Portland, OR. 2015-16.

The Work That Reconnects Facilitator Intensive. Joanna Macy. 2015.

I’m a facilitator and educator, a naturalist and writer. I am a neuroscience nerd with the heart of a mystic. I crave depth and connection and I need lots of solitude and space. I am a learner and a seeker, with an insatiable curiosity about the world and people's experiences and my own inner landscape. I love spending time in the natural world, connecting deeply with other introspective humans, reading young adult fantasy fiction with strong female protagonists, and learning more about myself. I live in Portland, Oregon.