While I can’t call myself a true Mainer (having been born in Syracuse, NY), Maine is my home and has been for as long as I can remember. I grew up right across the bridge in Brewer, where I attended Kindergarten through 8th grade. A parental job change and move one hour south brought me to Maranacook Community High School, where I graduated in 2002.
I am a proud, two-time University of Maine graduate, holding both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communication from the Department of Communication and Journalism. It was at the University of Maine where I met my husband, to whom I’ve been married for 15 years.
Following our time at UMaine, we spread our wings and relocated to the greater Washington, DC Metro Area, where I first worked as a facilitator for the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF). I have always loved working with kids and this particular job provided me with the ability to work with a diverse population of students from across the county. Each week brought new challenges and adventures. One of the more memorable being the time I got to run a nigh-vision training course with two marines and a group of 15 high school students – but that’s a story for another day. Once my time with NYLF was done, I worked in both education and non-profit settings for the next six years.
By all measures of success, we were doing pretty well, but there was something missing. When I became pregnant with my son during the winter of 2014 that missing link became obvious – it was Maine. It had always been Maine. So we moved home.
There is no better place, in my opinion, to raise a family. When friends ask us why we moved back to Bangor, we simply tell them the truth – Bangor offers all of the city amenities we had become accustomed to, plus the supportive community environment in which we are able to be our best selves.
So here we are. Living, working, and really thriving in our 110 year old home on the West Side of Bangor. I am currently an adjunct faculty at the University of Maine, Yoga instructor at the Bangor Y, and owner of Flowing Meditations Yoga. In addition to professional work, I serve as the Chair of the Vine Street School Parent Teacher Organization and am an active volunteer in the school and greater community.