I graduated from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in English Literature and Early American History. While there, I conducted fieldwork in archaeology and public history at local historical sites and served as a Production Assistant with the Emmy Award-winning Colonial Williamsburg Productions. I went on to pursue post-baccalaureate studies in conservation biology at the University of Maryland, College Park and conducted marine conservation fieldwork in Turks & Caicos.
I served as a Virginia Master Naturalist in the Shenandoah Valley Chapter. I also volunteered with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, VA, to conduct tours of the conservation breeding facility and assist animal keepers in the avian program.