I'm a professional designer based in New York. I found graphic design at an early age, knowing from that day forward that design would be at the forefront of whatever I would do. My parents instilled in me the desire to leave things better than IÂ found them and to always strive for improvement. By the age of 15 I was doing freelance graphic design work for clients in and around my hometown and I've been doing all kinds of design and creative work since.
I was born and raised in Washington state to a serial business owner and a medical assistant with one older brother. I lived in various rural and urban areas of Washington state. After graduating from college, where I was introduced to web and product design, I moved to New York City to continue my professional career. In 2020, in the peak of the pandemic, my now fiancé and I moved out to Central New York to work remotely.
Growing up on the Food Network and travel documentaries, I gained a great appreciation for other cultures and cuisines. This has pushed me to want to explore more of the world. Outside of the United States and Canada, I have traveled to beautiful places in France such as Provence and Paris and Greek islands such as Santorini and Ios, and I can’t wait to have many more adventures with my fiancé, Natalia.
I've experimented with different creative mediums throughout my life, from building furniture to home decor to various forms of art to DIY projects around the house, but digital creation is one of my favorites. In early 2022 after finishing our basement bar, IÂ created a TikTok channel called Modern Makes to share cocktail recipe videos. Since then, it has grown to a community of tens of thousands of followers with the most popular videos going viral and getting millions of views.
Over the last 15 years, I have had the pleasure of working with a large variety of companies, design agencies, and universities. Along with working directly with many clients through my freelance work, I have worked alongside some amazing designers and art directors at various top design agencies and have played key roles working cross-functionally at various tech startups.
I received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communication Design from Eastern Washington University where I also completed a Minor in Business Administration. At EWU, I was on the Dean's List for the majority of the semesters and I was also awarded the Outstanding Student of the Year from the VCD faculty in 2014. I was selected to be a Teacher's Assistant / Tudor for the Program Leading to University Success for both Web Design and Visual Communication Design courses.
Prior to EWU, IÂ attended the University of Washington where I was an undeclared undergraduate on a full academic scholarship that IÂ earned by achieving academic success during High School. While at UW, I volunteered at the University District Food Bank, helping stock shelves, organizing inventory, and assisting customers through checkout.
I graduated from Wilbur High School where I was an active member of the school, sports, and community. I received the Senior Project of Excellence for my senior research presentation on childhood cancer, part of which I volunteered for multiple years for the Corinna Felker Drive for Cancer helping raise money to provide assistance to families struggling with a child battling cancer. I also volunteered for local little league sports as a referee, umpire, and line judge at different times, as well as helping build a new baseball field.
Applying my years of experience and education in design and business, I love bringing other people's visions to life and making brands and products standout amongst their competitors. I do this with a blend of top-notch design, business thinking, and market research.
