Originally from Wichita, Kansas, my academic journey has taken me across the globe. I hold a bachelor's degree from Wichita State University and a master's degree in education from The City College of New York—a city where I lived and worked for over three years. Deepening my expertise in school administration upon returning to Kansas, I earned a Building Leadership license from Newman University. My background in education includes serving as an adjunct instructor, teaching undergraduate courses for the University of Phoenix and graduate-level courses for Newman University.

Driven by international and civic engagement, I completed study abroad programs in Puebla, Mexico (via Wichita State University) and Salamanca, Spain (via Kansas State University). I also earned a TOEFL teaching certificate in Rome, Italy, which allowed me to teach English as a foreign language internationally. Most recently, I graduated with a J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. During my legal education, I studied advanced immigration law in London, England, and gained hands-on advocacy experience working in both the Immigration Clinic and the Wrongful Convictions Clinic in partnership with the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.

Under the supervision of experienced immigration attorneys, I successfully managed client cases involving work authorization, asylum, adjustment of status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), and U-Visas within the Immigration Clinic.

In the Wrongful Convictions Clinic, I conducted deep extrajudicial reviews of criminal convictions marked by plausible claims of actual innocence or manifest injustice. This experience allowed me to critically analyze the systemic factors driving wrongful convictions and unjust sentencing, while deeply examining the real-world professional responsibilities of prosecutors. Practically, I built and executed a comprehensive factual investigation plan. I became adept at organizing and synthesizing complex case files, ultimately allowing me to critically evaluate the competing narrative theories that underpin convictions, sentences, and exonerations.

After earning my law degree, I served as an Assistant Public Defender with the Sedgwick County Public Defender’s Office. This role allowed me to immerse myself in high-stakes litigation, significantly sharpening my trial skills and legal knowledge. I independently handled a diverse felony caseload, representing clients facing charges ranging from theft, burglary, and robbery to drug possession, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and failure to register.