I am Indiana. You are Indiana. Together, we are Indiana! A Chicago native, yet longtime Hoosier I was born and raised in the Hyde Park area of Chicago, Illinois. When my parents divorced my mother remarried and together we relocated to the suburbs of Illinois. I grew up in such areas as Park Forest, Zion, Calumet City, and Oak Park. We temporarily lived in both Kentwood, Michigan and Tucker, Georgia, eventually settling back in Indiana in 2000. In 2001, I graduated from Lake Central High School in St. John, IN. I then attended Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. While attending college, I became a youth minister and president of a campus Christian student organization. With a lifetime of volunteering and community service under my belt through AmeriCorps I became a public school teacher. I taught in public, private and charter schools. I then returned to school to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer. In 2017, I graduated from Valparaiso University School of Law and became the Executive Director for the local civil rights agency. I am also the ADA and Title VI Coordinator for the city. Currently, I hold a professorship at Indiana University. I also operate my own social service, providing legal and mental health services to indigent clients throughout the U.S. I am the step-daughter of a hardworking, retired U.S. Steelworker, daughter of a retired Chicago City Bus Driver and factory worker. I come from a family of honorable veterans who served their country proudly. I have a lifetime of acquired values and skills commensurate with representing and leading the people.