I first started playing chess in 3rd grade and went on to become a rated USCF tournament player.  I have played throughout NY, CT, MI, TN, and TX and have won several tournaments including taking 1st place in the Connecticut State Championship in 2002 held at Yale University. 

From 2005 - 2009 I was a chess coach for the Mighty Pawns, where I trained children K-8 leading them to several team victories at the scholastic level. 

I went on to teach at several schools for Chess Wizards from 2010 - 2014 and was a private coach on the side. I still have a strong love of the game and play when I can. One fact I am extremely proud of is that I was the first-ever female chess president of my high school. 

While I tend to be very analytical, I also have a deep appreciation for the arts. My grandmother taught me to paint from a young age and most of my happiest childhood memories were of her and I spending countless hours creating art together. In my youth, I was a CYO art contestant and won several awards for my paintings. Outside of producing art, I also love musical theatre and regularly attend performances. 

I believe this has helped me in tech when it comes to looking at projects from a UI perspective and creating websites is something I enjoy doing. It can be easy to get lost in the functionality of IT sometimes and forget the human element on the other side of endpoint devices. I credit my love of the arts for my ability to figure out innovative solutions. 

Problem-solving is more than just science it's art. 

Prior to pivoting to IT I spent several years working as a paralegal, legal specialist, and auditor. The years I spent working in various legal areas such as bankruptcy, real estate, divorce, business organization, estate planning, and contract law provided me with the ability to shift through large amounts of data to identify key problems. 

When it comes to IT I am not just looking at risk from a technical perspective but as someone who understands regulatory compliance and business impact. My experience in drafting legal documents and operational management has allowed me to help organizations create standardized processes that provides them with the tools and foundation necessary to run more efficiently within their budget. IT is a constant balancing act between business budget and risk-aware decision making. As someone who has not only a technical background but a business management background I am able to quantify those risks and break them down in a way that non-technical members of the organization can understand. 

Community has always been important to me. I have been extremely lucky in my life to be surrounded by teachers, mentors, family, and friends who have supported my continued growth. I try to pay that forward as much as possible. 

For the last few years, I have donated my time to judge and assist during the YMCA Texas Youth and Government competitions. This has helped high schoolers gain the knowledge and experience they need to pursue a career in law. 

I support Random Acts (https://randomacts.org/) which is a global organization that networks community involvement on both a small and large scale. Until they stopped doing them, I used to participate in their week-long GISH events which promoted humanitarian efforts against social injustice. While they no longer run these events, they still pick projects to support, and I donate funds to those causes. 

When I am not working, I like to spend time at home or traveling with my dog. I am 100% a dog mom and Eliza says thank you for helping me bring home the Baconstrips.