I was born in Logan and raised by politically engaged parents in North Ogden. I studied English and Political Science at BYU. After graduating, summa cum laude, and serving a mission in Guatemala, I worked with Senator Hatch for two years in Washington, D.C., responding to constituent concerns. I then earned an M.A. in Political Science and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior at UCLA. My dissertation research focused on conflict management in global virtual teams, where I studied more effective ways of handling conflict in complex situations.

My husband and I moved to Fruit Heights sixteen years ago. We have three children, all now teenagers. In addition to managing things at home while the kids were young, I’ve been active in our community, schools, and church. This combination of political, academic, and regular-life experience means I can hold my own in the legislature, while representing the everyday perspectives of citizens in our community.