- I attended Union College, where I majored in history and religious studies. I didn't have a great first year experience, so a classmate and I vowed to say ‘yes’ to as many opportunities as possible as we walked to the club fair at the start of sophomore year. That night I signed up for ballroom dance club and the gaming guild. As it happens, the gaming guild member who recruited me is now my husband (married 14 years now!), and all of my closest friends today were members of those two clubs. They all danced at our backyard wedding - it was awesome.
- My husband was a movie reviewer for the college newspaper, so we got to go on free movie dates every weekend. We don't see as many movies in the theater anymore, but we still enjoy listening to movie review podcasts together in the car.
- I found my calling in higher education as a sophomore at Union when I applied to work as a HEOP writing tutor. I fell in love with the program and the students, and I spent every summer until I finished graduate school working as a program counselor/tutor. Upon completing my master’s degree, I accepted a HEOP counselor position here at Siena. As a first-generation college student myself, there has been nothing more meaningful than working for HEOP.
- I am the mother of two wonderful boys (four and six) who I love more than anything else on this Earth. I spend as much time as possible going on adventures with them and I try to savor the moments I have with them each day. I don't post photos of them on social media (I want to give them privacy until they're old enough to decide for themselves), but I'm just so proud of them.
- My husband introduced me to tabletop boardgaming and RPGs in college, and we've maintained a weekly game night with friends for over a decade. Even during COVID, we ran regular D&D campaigns and other games online. It's been a great way to maintain our friendships despite being so busy with kids, careers, etc. Now that our kids are a bit older, they're joining in too!
- Six years after getting married, my husband and I took a very belated honeymoon to Italy. We spent a year making spreadsheets and centering our travel around food and gelato locations. We visited Rome, Capri, Naples, Siena, Assisi, Cinque Terre, Florence, and Venice. We even got to hike Vesuvius! If you're planning a trip to Italy, I can share my food and location spreadsheets with you, and I strongly recommend Cinque Terre as a day-trip destination.
- I love to swim. I grew up spending summers on a lake in the Adirondacks, and trained to swim across it and back. As a kid, I was always desperately seeking someone to swim with, and now my two boys are my swim buddies. We're in the pool as often as possible, and my oldest will be on a swim team this fall.
- I learned hand embroidery and cross stitch during COVID, and I've had a project going ever since. I don't have much time for hobbies these days, but it's a great way to unwind, especially during the colder months.
- After working at Siena for more than a decade, I've finally started taking my lunch break to enjoy a daily walk around campus. I usually listen to music or a New York Times podcast, and I always come back to my desk feeling better than when I left. I strongly recommend taking your lunch break!
- The best day of my life was April 8, 2024, when we called out of work/school and drove into the Adirondacks to view totality as a family. We ate pizza and tailgated the moon. There was a cloudless sky where we watched, and it was the most spectacular thing I've ever seen.
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