I was born and raised on Florida's east coast, where I graduated from Rockledge High School in 1992. In 1997, I graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. After college, I worked in various positions within local government before moving to Pinellas County in 2001.
After moving to the Tampa Bay area, I worked briefly for a consulting firm before deciding to go back to school to pursue a graduate degree. In 2004, I received a Master's degree in Social Science Education with an emphasis in Government and International Affairs from the University of South Florida. I have been teaching law and government courses at Pinellas Park High School’s Criminal Justice Academy magnet program since 2003. I started working as an adjunct instructor for SPC in Fall 2009. I am currently teaching POS 2041 American National Government and INR 2002 International Relations.