I started college in my late forties because of two cups of coffee. On a home care visit, I replaced the batteries in a woman's television remote. It took less than a minute. I stood to leave. She asked if I wanted coffee. That was when I noticed the table. Two mugs. Two napkins. Two spoons. She had set a place for me before I arrived. I sat back down. I wondered if isolation was something age did to people or something people did to age. I had spent more than twenty years at Apple before founding a caregiving company. I knew how to run a business. I did not know how to answer that question. I transferred ownership and enrolled full-time at Seattle Central. Nobody in my family had gone to college. I had grown up believing it required something I didn't have. Now I am learning how to study the questions that brought me here—and question my own answers. Two mugs were not proof of loneliness. The quiet I read as isolation may have felt like peace to her. I live with Parkinson's. Learning to ask for the time I need has changed the time I give other people. I tutor, direct theater, and help build student groups that I want to remain long after I leave. I plan to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology and work with older adults and caregivers. I want to understand what happens in the everyday exchanges we can so easily hurry past. I cannot say exactly what the second mug meant to her. I know what it changed for me.

• Teaching Assistant, The Art and Science of Losing

  Higher Education · Seattle Central College

  Sep 2026 – Present

• Trainer; later director roles in Training, Compliance & Vendor Relations

  Technology · Apple

  Jan 2000 – Apr 2023

• Founder & Unpaid Advisor (ownership transferred)

  Health, Wellness, and Fitness · Wellbrella

  Nov 2024 – Present

• Advocacy
• Volunteering
• Philanthropy
• Entrepreneurship

• Swimming

  Club

  1995 – 1997

• Independent Researcher

  Independent research · Psychology, General

  2026 – Present

  Research topic:

  Paid care and loneliness in national data; no evidence paid help was linked to lower loneliness.

• Research Proposal Author

  Seattle Central College · Psychology, General

  2026 – 2026

  Research topic:

  Proposed experiment on caregiver interaction and loneliness in home care; not yet conducted.

• Volunteer Research Assistant

  CREATIV Lab - University of Washington · Research and Experimental Psychology

  2026 – Present

  Research topic:

  Late-life depression

• Invited Reader

  Hugo House · Performance Art

  2026 – 2026

  Productions:

  Read “The Shoe I Kept” by invitation at Hugo House in July 2026. The essay won international first place in the personal essay category of the League for Innovation Student Literary Competition, was published in the League’s anthology, and was accepted for forthcoming publication in Hippocampus Magazine.

• Drama Club Founder & President; Co-director of Full Circle

  Seattle Central College · Theatre

  2026 – Present

  Productions:

  Full Circle — co-directed a cast and crew of 50; The Servant of Two Masters — approved to direct and produce for winter 2027

• Public Comment Contributor

  Advocacy · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / National Center for Health Statistics

  2026 – 2026

  Mission:

  Submitted a public comment to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics recommending retention of the loneliness measure and receipt-of-help questions, including the distinction between paid and unpaid help.

• Contributing Writer

  Advocacy · National Council on Aging

  2026 – 2026

  Mission:

  Published “Loneliness Is a Care Need” with the National Council on Aging in August 2026, writing about loneliness and human connection in home care.

• Undergraduate Student Member - Advocate

  Advocacy · Gerontological Society of America

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Presented my proposal as a poster at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting, November 4–7, 2026, in National Harbor, Maryland. The abstract was published in Innovation in Aging. The proposed caregiver-interaction experiment has not yet been conducted.

• Founder & President

  Volunteering · Psychology Club, Seattle Central College

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Founded the Psychology Club, which now has 96 members. Built its website and social media accounts. Members have written more than 100 letters through Letters to Strangers and are working to establish a campus chapter. We help one another prepare work for publication; members have published with national organizations and submitted manuscripts to peer-reviewed journals.

• Founder; Charter in Progress

  Volunteering · Alpha Sigma Lambda, Seattle Central College

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Founded Seattle Central’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda, the national honor society for nontraditional students. The chapter has been approved, and the charter is in progress.

• Student Member

  Volunteering · Seattle Central College, Faculty Tenure Review Committee

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Invited by faculty to evaluate a new faculty member’s teaching through classroom observation, written observations, and quarterly committee meetings.

• Member; 2026 Reynolds Scholar

  Volunteering · Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Alpha Chi Zeta Chapter

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  I strive to honor my PTK pledge to advance scholarship through my work establishing student groups and helping students pursue research and recognition. On October 23, 2026, I was named a Reynolds Scholar for "Boy, Betty, Bingo," forthcoming in the 32nd edition of Nota Bene: Literary and Visual Arts Honors Anthology. Selected by a national panel of judges from more than 3,200 entries.

• Team Fox Fundraiser

  Volunteering · Michael J Fox Foundation

  2018 – Present

  Mission:

  Raised $20,000 through Team Fox fundraising to support Parkinson’s research.

• Founder

  Volunteering · Delta Alpha Pi, Seattle Central College

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Founded and chartered Seattle Central’s chapter of the international honor society for students with disabilities. Built the chapter proposal, secured advisor and administrative approval, and chartered the chapter in September 2026.

• Student Founder & President

  Volunteering · Psi Beta, Seattle Central College

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Established Seattle Central’s chapter of the national honor society in psychology. Drafted bylaws, coordinated faculty and college support, and completed the national charter process. Created opportunities for academic recognition, psychology-specific scholarships, research, and student leadership.

• Member - Advocate

  Advocacy · National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

  2018 – Present

  Mission:

  Advance the disability-led independent living movement, enhance human and civil rights, and ensure equal value and full participation for people with disabilities.

• Member - Advocate

  Advocacy · American Society on Aging

  2023 – Present

  Mission:

  Published “We Didn’t Mean to Design Conversation Out of Home Care” in Generations Now, examining how home care can leave out conversation and human connection.

• Member - Advocate

  Advocacy · NAACP

  2018 – Present

  Mission:

  To achieve equity, political rights, and social inclusion by eliminating discrimination and expanding civil rights for all people of color.

• Patient Programs Coordinator

  Volunteering · American Parkinson Disease Association

  2018 – Present

  Mission:

  Organize health events, assist with educational workshops, and connect patients and caregivers to local support services.

• Volunteer Recruitment Member

  Volunteering · American Red Cross

  2025 – Present

  Mission:

  Help design and implement recruitment strategies that bring volunteers into every line of service.

• Parkinson's Ambassador

  Volunteering · Parkinson's Foundation

  2018 – Present

  Mission:

  Raise disease awareness, engage in community outreach, and represent the organization at local events.

• ESL Tutor

  Volunteering · Seattle Central College

  2026 – Present

  Mission:

  Provide English language tutoring and academic support for ESL students.