I was born in Rochester, MN and grew up between Duluth, MN and Rushford, MN, the latter of which being where I graduated high school.

I received my B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse with a minor in Ethnic and Racial studies. 

I am currently attending Iowa State University as a Ph.D. Student in the Mathematics Department.

My path to my undergraduate degree was atypical: I spent several years in the service industry and had a two-year stint taking general education courses at Western Technical College somewhere in the middle. As a nontraditional student, the challenges of financing and support can be difficult and the imposter syndrome can set in quickly. However, being a nontraditional student has taught me that we have our own unique experiences that benefit our learning experiences, and I attribute much of what I learned outside of school to my success inside of it.

From a live show in 2020

One of my first loves was music. I started playing the trumpet as a child and played it through college. However, I am a self-taught guitarist and spend most of my time playing those things these days.

Before I pursued mathematics after high school, I also spent some time studying music. Afterwords, I spent several years playing guitar and bass in different bands. I still currently play with a group and we have an album in the mix.

Whether you believe that the intersection of mathematicians and musicians is large or not (I do), there is certainly math in music! Check out this link for a great selection of media about the connections between the two.


Before I began my graduate career, I spent nearly 11 years (combined in some form) in the service industry as a cook and restaurant manager. Over those years, I met some wonderful people and through them gained a passion for making food. I don't claim to be a professional, but I love to cook for my friends and family and experiment with new ingredients. Some links:


Watermelon and Tomato Salad

(From my time working in restaurants)

Part of a sheet I made and used for drafting in fantasy football (2023)

A hobby of mine that has a larger intersection with mathematics is sports analytics. My interest started with fantasy football and has grown to also include sports betting over the last couple of years. Each year I try to learn a little bit more!