This is my story, and these are my values:

For most of my life, Adams County has been my home.

Since my great-grandfather moved to Brighton almost 100 years ago, Adams County has been a land of opportunity and freedom for my family. In their memory, I’m committed to fighting for equal opportunities and freedoms for the other families who live here—whether they have been here since time immemorial or immigrated recently.

Growing up in Adams County brought out the best in me. My parents led by example, prioritizing public service over serving themselves. My mom, who grew up in our community raised by a single mother, put herself through college and law school before working as a tax attorney for nonprofits. She later put her career on hold to care for me and my brother and volunteer her time for our school's PTA. My dad gave up a career in corporate law to serve our community for 25 years as a prosecutor and as the elected District Attorney of the 17th Judicial District from 2005-2013. They taught me to look for the good and the reasonable in everyone, to listen to and learn from people who are different from me, and to always speak up for those who don’t have the opportunity to speak up for themselves.

After graduating from local public schools and CU Boulder, I spent over a decade working as an educator in both secondary and higher education, earning a Ph.D. along the way. I often worked as many as three jobs as an adjunct professor to pay my bills during graduate school and look forward to bringing this perspective of hustling and living paycheck-to-paycheck to the Board of County Commissioners. My doctoral research focused on protecting kids from social media, using technology to bridge political divides, and advancing civil rights for LGBTQ+ communities. I look forward to using my experience and expertise in collecting and analyzing data to improve systems, save money, focus on the right problems, and hire the right people as a County Commissioner.

I’ve carried the values I was raised with into my work as a teacher, researcher, and organizer. As an executive of the CU Student government, I managed a staff of 20 people, a budget of over $20 million, and negotiated the lowest tuition increase in a decade when I was just 21 years old. As a campaign consultant and activist, I helped progressives and Democrats win tough races, performed research and analysis for national labor unions like AFSCME, SEIU, the NEA, and the AFL-CIO, and fought to make the Democratic Party more inclusive for young people and marginalized communities. While teaching and getting my doctorate at USC, I worked in a research lab focused on healing the partisan divide, worked on one of the most successful unionization campaigns at a private university, and published award-winning research on new technologies. Throughout two decades of experience in research, communications, education, and public service, I’ve seen how people can work together to make lasting changes that benefit the whole community. And I've learned how to bring ordinary, hard-working people together to fight against entrenched, special interests at every level of government.

Today, I live on the south side of my hometown, Westminster, with my boyfriend and our puppy. I work as a full-time faculty member at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, where I work with young people from our community to refine their professional skills and devise strategies for getting new business. When I'm not working, I am very passionate about athletics and the outdoors, our local art scene, uplifting young people in activism and politics, and sustainable landscaping.

As a young homeowner trying to make it work on an educator's salary, I know firsthand the challenges facing families in Adams County—the rising cost of living, wages that can’t keep up, and the struggle to build a secure future. I’m running for Adams County Commissioner in District 4 because I believe Adams County should always be a place where working families can thrive—where people can afford to live, raise their families, and pursue their dreams in one of the most diverse and dynamic communities in America.