Behind every CEO, director, employee, student, client, colleague, friend and person passing by, there is a story.

We all have one. We are all human in that way.
All with our own life experiences, shaping us into the people we are - 
Who we become under pressure.
Our choices when faced with a decision or task.
How we treat others around us, both fortunate and less fortune.
How we view the world,
​and even more importantly -
How we can change it. 

For me, I choose to take every moment as a lesson. All our experiences - triumphant or defeating - can teach us something more about ourselves and prepares us to take on the world.  

At 12, I was involved in an automobile accident that caused me to be seriously injured, and unfortunately took my father's life. This left my mother widowed with three children to support, as well as hefty bills to pay from funeral costs, home payments, and more. We had minimal help from family, and at times we felt completely on our own. The combination of emotional stress from losing a family member, bills becoming impossible to pay and really just keeping it together was a difficult time for all of us. Memories of a near-empty fridge, fast food breakfasts and nights without heat have always reminded me to be grateful.
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"Life is but a continuous cycle of rooting, growing, and blossoming."

​Those experiences allowed me to have a first-hand understanding of the many trials we endure in life, more compassion when dealing with others in difficult situations, and the ability to relate whole-heartedly. I've used my experiences while volunteering within the community, learning about SNAP and government benefits and dealing with people daily. Furthermore, it has helped my in my studies when developing affordable meals and recipes, monthly food budgets and realistic diet plans.

This is the backbone of why my personal motto is, "Good Things Rise from the Ground Up" - sometimes we fall, looking around to see the dirt around us. But, from the bottom we can only move upwards. Life is but a continuous cycle of rooting, growing, and blossoming. And, transforming our darker experiences into a helping light for others is what keeps that cycle moving. It is in those experiences that create thankfulness, humbleness, compassion and strength. 
Since then, I have been able to reach out of my comfort zone.
I became a Registered Yoga Instructor (RYT-200) in 2015 with Yoga Alliance, and continue to bring it's benefits to my friends, family and students who attend classes. It has combined with my nutrition education in such natural way.
I have traveled to Cuba, Indonesia and Peru to learn about and appreciate different cultures. I continue to travel to keep myself aware of food traditions and life beyond the norm. It has given me a more well rounded approach in the healthcare field.