Also a native Santa Barbaran, she started architecture as an drafting intern at the age of 15. While in college, she traveled to Europe, studying design in France, Spain and Italy. After graduation, she was awarded a Rotary International Scholarship to study architecture for a year at the Tokyo University of Arts and Music. Returning to Santa Barbara, she began her career at Brian Cearnal Associates. There, she designed widely diverse character homes and commercial projects in Santa Barbara’s distinctive style and was licensed in 1989. It was also there that she met Pete and their friendship began.