I grew up in the St. Louis area in a suburb called O'Fallon, Illinois. All throughout my life, I've had interests in all kinds of animals. I've been riding horses since the 2nd grade and have always had dogs, cats, and other household animals around, so it's no wonder I wanted to pursue a career involving animals.
Initially, I attended a small college in rural Missouri where I studied agricultural sciences, but after one year, I decided to take some time off from school to find a better fit. During my gap year, I gained experience working as a kennel attendant in a doggie daycare and as a large animal caretaker at Grant's Farm in St. Louis, Missouri where I worked with many species such as cattle, water buffalo, llamas, alpacas, and camels.
Once I was ready to go back to school, I transferred to the University of Illinois in 2019 where I studied animal sciences with a concentration in equine science and companion animals. I greatly enjoyed my time at the university and learned so much from the wonderful faculty in the Animal Sciences department.
After graduating with my bachelors in December of 2021, I began working at the Swine Research Center as a fulltime researcher. Although this is my first time working with pigs, it has been a rewarding and exciting experience thus far!