I am a California Girl! I was born and raised in the small, Northern California coastal town of Eureka in Humboldt County. After high school, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend St. Mary's College in Moraga, where I majored in Integral Liberal Arts, a Great Books Program based on the Western classics. In 2002, I moved further south to San Diego where I met my husband Dennis and completed a Masters in History at San Diego State University.

I'm interested in: History, swimming, organizing, philosophy, reading, running, tennis, Latin America, diabetes, long walks, babies, peanut butter, road trips, travel, and cherry tomatoes (not necessarily in that order!)

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when I was 13 years old, I think of my diabetes as a part of me. I believe that through managing this disease I have learned important lessons regarding personal responsibility, empathy, and making the time for my health and well-being.