Biography

For as long as I can remember, people have mattered to me. Listening, understanding and learning from the people around me is a core value of mine. I truly enjoy getting to walk alongside people in whatever circumstances they are in. I love to learn about important ways people can change and how to help people grow. All of this is what led me to decide that social work was the career for me.  

I think that oftentimes, the behaviors people don't like stem from a need or a behavior that had benefited someone in the past. Change is like trying to forge a new trail when an already well-paved path exists. We might like the existing path, but not the consequences of where those actions lead – we don’t actually want to end up where the paved path is heading. The question becomes, what underlying needs or beliefs is our action serving? Honoring those needs or beliefs driving our behavior can help as we begin work on a different pathway. 

I am currently completing my masters in Social Work at Western Michigan University and  interning at the Center for Counseling and Wellness this year. Young adults are such a fun demographic to work with because oftentimes you are already forging new paths and actively choosing who you are and where you want to end up. I am excited to partner with students along that journey.