I grew up in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area of Texas, where I studied biology at the University of Texas at Arlington and first worked in the Feschotte lab as an undergraduate researcher. After graduation I moved to Blacksburg, VA to work with Skip Garner on human microsatellite variation at Virginia Tech. My studies then took me to Salt Lake City, UT where I again worked in the Feschotte lab, and received a M.S. in Human Genetics. I am now a technician working on active and domesticated TEs in zebrafish. When not in the lab I enjoy camping, hiking, exploring, and cooking.