I came into UX sideways, it found me.
That's the short version. The longer one starts at a Disney Store, takes a detour through computer science, and ends up somewhere in enterprise healthcare, designing systems for the moments that matter most.
It started onstage.
I started my career at Disney, not in a design studio, but onstage. For all four years of undergrad I was a Disney Store Cast Member, and when I graduated I packed up and ran away to Disney World for the Disney College Program. I loved it enough to extend.
Those programs taught me something I've carried into every project since: the best experiences aren't accidental. They're intentional, inclusive, and built around a genuine understanding of the people you're serving, not the people building it.
To this day, I still believe every experience should feel a little bit magical.
How I got here, the tldr; version.
The path here was unconventional — a CS degree, a master's, 6 years in accounting, and a web design internship where something finally clicked."
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Undergrad 2007-2011
Disney Store Cast Member
Four years onstage at the Disney Store taught me that magic isn't accidental, it's built on intention.
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Bachelor's 2007-2011
BS, Computer Science & IS
Learned how things get built. Started noticing I cared more about how they felt.
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After graduation 2011-2012
Disney College Program x2
Packed up, ran away to Disney World. Loved it enough to extend.
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The in-between 2012-2018
Accounts payable
Processing thousands of invoices monthly, and managing hundreds of vendor relationships. On top of the day job, helped a business analyst re-engineer financial workflows — increasing productivity by 20%. Turns out those skills translate pretty well to UX and beyond.
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First gig Fall 2015
Web design internship
Something clicked. I kept gravitating toward the why-they-struggle questions. Nobody told me that was UX yet.
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Master's 2013-2015
WDOC at University of Florida
Accounting by day, Web Design + Online Communication by night. Where the people-side of the work finally had a name.
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2018-2022
Cerner
Enterprise healthcare. Product design, Design system, CoE. Plus peer recognition design and our internal dev conference.
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2022-Now 2022-2026
Oracle Health
Product design, Design system, Research. Advocating for accessibility.
A few things that are non-negotiable.
Questions before pixels.
I'd rather spend an extra week understanding the real problem than a month solving the wrong one.
Connecting dots across teams.
Some of my best contributions have been noticing two groups solving the same problem from opposite ends -- and getting them in a room.
Real people, actually heard.
Making sure the people most affected by a product show up in the process. Not a methodology -- just how I'm wired.
Going deep, not wide.
I'm not a dozen-projects-at-once person. I'm a let-me-really-understand-this person.
The work that doesn't show up in a job description.
At Cerner I sat on the UXtra Mile Committee, designing a monthly peer-recognition presentation. I volunteered for DevCon, our internal developer conference -- designing experiences for an audience that mostly builds things rather than experiences them, which is a delightful design challenge. I mentored Purdue students for three consecutive semesters and helped build the UX RevCycle Education Initiative.
More recently I've leaned into accessibility advocacy. In March 2025 I was one of three panelists for Oracle's enterprise-wide Access for All series, presenting accessible presentation practices to 200+ cross-functional attendees. Earlier this year I also facilitated a breakout session on color accessibility through the same program. When Redwood's — Oracle's design system — dedicated accessibility team needed additional support auditing components, they brought in a few of us who had worked on the accessibility remediation project. I contributed audits for three components and provided recommendations for the backlog.
Fun facts
I'd be lost without post-its.
Not metaphorically. Physically disoriented. Post-its are how I think.
48% through all 50 states.
I have strong opinions about what counts as a qualifying visit. Layovers don't.
Pineapple on pizza, forever.
I will die on this hill.
I designed & vibe coded this WordPress theme.
Which says something about commitment to craft. Or inability to use a template. Probably both.
I believe in intention.
Every great experience has details built with care. There are a few easter eggs sprinkled around this site -- keep an eye out.
I laugh at everything.
Happy. Nervous. Confused. It covers a lot of ground and a lot of meetings.