I was born and raised in Kansas City (both Missouri and Kansas side for those who know to ask), where I was active in any sport that gave me a spot on the team. Sports carried me to Virginia Tech, where I played volleyball for four years, serving as team captain for my junior and senior seasons, all while earning my degree in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

After college graduation, I moved back home to Kansas City, where I contemplated my life and considered a career in medicine. During this transition to adulting, I worked multiple part-time jobs as a nutrition counselor, office administrative assistant, high school substitute teacher, and club volleyball coach. I also took extra college classes to complete my medical school prerequisites and volunteered/shadowed in the emergency department.

My penchant for keeping busy was a good indicator that I could survive the rigors of medical school and thrive despite the heavy demands of education, training, and practicing medicine. I matriculated to the University of Kansas School of Medicine, graduating in 2008, and completed my Emergency Medicine residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, finishing my training in 2011.

My husband and I loved the Charlotte area and decided to put down roots here. Because of my fear of having children at “advanced maternal age” - probably the most horrible term coined in medicine referring to women over the age of 35 - I had my kids back to back with three kids in four years. After either growing or feeding a human from my body for five years straight while continuing to work in the ER, I was emotionally and physically spent. I was overworked, overweight, and didn’t even recognize myself anymore. I remember looking at my neighbor and saying, “When will I feel like myself again?”

I had reached a low point. Rather than sinking even farther, I was once again saved by sports. I took up tennis, started taking an active role in my health with diet and exercise, and began prioritizing wellness in my life. It was transformative for me and I want to share that journey with others.

Working in a fast-paced and procedurally based environment has made the transition into aesthetics very natural. I still get to work with my hands and rather than doing damage control with a complicated facial laceration, I get to help patients enhance their already beautiful canvas and provide joy at the end of the day.

In my spare time, I enjoy playing tennis, reading historical fiction, traveling, honing my skills as an oenophile, and running my kids around to gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis, swimming, or whatever sport is keeping them from watching TV and screen time!