She graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Marquette University and obtained her Master of Science degree in nursing from Alverno College. She is board certified from the American Nurses Credentialing Center in both Advanced Diabetes Management and Gerontology, and has additional certification from the National Board for Diabetes Educators as a Certified Diabetes Educator. She is an advisor for the State of Wisconsin Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, and is a member of the Diabetes Self-Management Program Steering Committee of the Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging. She is a board member of the Southeastern Wisconsin Association of Diabetes Educators and provides Resident education of diabetes management for the MCW Ambulatory Immersion Rotation.