What is your advising philosophy? My main goal is to empower advisees so that they make the most of the opportunities available to them while maintaining well-rounded healthy perspectives on academics and life. To do this, I actively listen to each student, offering feedback and encouragement as needed, in order to create a safe space where they can explore ideas, learn from their mistakes, and ultimately grow in both confidence and humility.

What was your path to Newnan? I have always been fascinated by how individuals make decisions and how decisions made in the past continue to reverberate in the present. Over the years these interests led me to pursue graduate training in U.S. history and to seek out a variety of professional opportunities, such as interning for the Michigan House of Representatives and working as a ranger in the National Park Service. At each stop along the way, I found myself especially enjoying times when I could speak one-on-one with others and hear about their life histories, goals, ideals, and dreams. I’m thrilled to now be holding these types of conversations on a daily basis and to be living and working back in my home state of Michigan.

What do you enjoy about working in Newnan? I really appreciate the opportunity to interact with wonderful students and colleagues and to do so in an environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance.  

Class you loved and why? In graduate school I took part in a foreign travel immersion course to Austria and Germany, where my classmates and I spent a week visiting Holocaust memorial sites and reflecting on the relationship between memory and the common good. It was an incredibly moving and powerful experience – one that highlighted the essential dignity that each of us have as human beings.

Interests and hobbies: I love spending time with family and friends and getting outdoors to hike, bike, and jog. I also enjoy listening to Celtic and string music, reading historical biographies and mystery novels, watching nature documentaries, and planning my next travel adventure.