She is an alumnus of American University and did her graduate work in nursing at the MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, and in English at Portland State University in Oregon. As a shipboard nurse practitioner, she had the opportunity to circumnavigate the globe with the Semester at Sea program in 2012, helping to care for students, faculty, staff and their families as they traveled and studied throughout South America, Africa and Asia. In addition to traveling, she enjoys reading, knitting, and making music with friends.