I was raised by a single mother and put myself both through my undergraduate and both graduate degrees. I've spent a lot of money on my education but I believe that investing in furthering your education always pays off. I'm a former thru hiker (I hiked 1850 miles of the Appalachian Trail in 2021 by myself as a solo female. I had to get off the trail early due to starting graduate school). I still love to hike and recently became interested in rock climbing. For the past three years I was a Russian language instructor (taught at the University of Maryland, College Park and for the Department of Defense- Army). I am bilingual in Russian and English (mostly self-taught in Russian and have also lived in Russia). I am a wife of an active duty US Navy officer and have a keen interest in working with military veterans. Currently, I'm completing my master's degree in social work to become a mental health therapist.