My Story.
background + education
I grew up in Oxnard, California, a coastal town between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara — surrounded by mountains, ocean, and agricultural fields. Both sides of my family have long histories in Oxnard, making it near impossible to visit without running into someone who knows them.
I attended Catholic schools from first through twelfth grade. My schools were focused on service, stewardship, and social justice — my teachers all played a significant part in my interest in advocacy and in using my talents to help others.
After high school, I attended the University of California, Berkeley, where I majored in English. I loved the buzz of discussion and debate in class so much that I decided in my senior year to become an English teacher, just to keep the party going.
career beginnings
On the mile-long walk from the South Hayward BART station to my job interview, I knew I would accept the position if it was offered. I enjoyed my time in the classroom, working with teenagers and their rollercoaster of feelings — the classroom is where I became a professional and developed my own work ethic and commitment to lifelong learning.
In 2008, my husband and I moved to Las Vegas in search of a more affordable way of life so that we could start a family. I applied to a Craigslist ad for a job at a shoe company I was only vaguely familiar with — Zappos, which was about delivering happiness. I started with data entry, moved to writing product descriptions, then landed on data migration and integration on the product management side of the business.
current work + projects
In 2016, the company's priorities shifted, and so did mine. I decided to devote my time to my then six-year-old, her education, my husband, and his career. I also expanded my interests to nutrition education, fitness, and language learning.
Both my husband and daughter are dual citizens, U.S.A. and Italy, so I've been working on my Italian for the last few years.
I am currently completing coursework with the Transcript Proofreading Academy so that I can help court reporters and legal transcribers perfect their submissions. I am also improving and updating my knowledge base and pursuing certifications with Salesforce, Google Ads, and Shopify.
