In her undergraduate studies at UCLA, she double-majored in History and Political Science, and took an internship with the Glendale News-Press newspaper. Toiling away in the newsroom was how she first learned to appreciate the value and appeal of storytelling and narrative in ordinary life. After graduation, she spent several years working as a freelance photographer and graphic designer before attending NYU Tisch School of the Arts in Singapore to pursue her M.F.A. in film production.