I was born at a young age in Lowell, MA. Quite the jet-setter in my youth, I moved to Miami Beach when I was one and then to Fort Lauderdale when I was two. Pleased with the balmy weather and my proximity to the Las Olas beach, I hunkered down in South Florida for the long haul.

Year Three of my life is a mystery. But when I was four, I enrolled at Pine Crest School, where I hung out for the next fourteen years with wonderfully smart friends, dedicated teachers, and the opportunity to develop great work habits, communication skills, and intellectual curiosity.

In fourth grade, all my friends joined the school’s concert band without telling me (thanks, guys). When I decided to join a couple weeks later, all the cool instruments were taken - I had to choose between the trombone, French horn, and tuba. While weighing my options, my father leaned over and whispered, “Pick the slidey one!” And with that now-famous piece of advice, my career as a trombonist was born.

Over the next nine years, I was fortunate enough to perform in a variety of extraordinary settings: New England Music Camp, Interlochen, the Florida Youth Orchestra, the Ars Flores Chamber Orchestra, the Sunrise Symphonic Pops Orchestra, multiple Florida All-State bands, and various Pine Crest music groups. Notable conductors I performed with include Frederick Fennell, James Judd, and Thomas Sleeper. And yes, I made it to Carnegie Hall. How? Practice! (And belong to the Florida Youth Orchestra during the 2002-2003 season.)

I graduated from Pine Crest in 2005 and accepted a full, merit-based Trustee Scholarship from Boston University. After dabbling in chemistry, biology, nutrition, economics, and computer science, I took a statistics course and liked what I saw. I ended up completing the math department’s combined BA/MA degree program, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with two Mathematics/Statistics degrees after four years at age 21. I was graciously awarded the College Prize for Excellence in Statistics by the mathematics department faculty, and even gave the student speech at the department graduation ceremony.

After working for a year as a statistical geneticist and R programmer at Biogen Idec, I headed west to start a PhD in UC Berkeley’s statistics department in 2010. I completed two years of coursework before deciding that a Ph.D. in Statistics wasn’t for me, as much as I loved Berkeley and the Bay Area.

In 2012, I moved back to sunny South Florida to figure out what was for me. I took a bunch of online courses related to computer science, programming, and behavioral psychology. I also started supporting students in South Florida and around the country/world in their academic endeavors as a private tutor, an activity that I enjoy immensely and am now far past the 10,000-hour mark.

In July 2022, I moved to Spokane, WA with my partner Samantha to explore another part of the country. It’s been a blast so far, and I’m excited for more hiking and the upcoming school year!