I am a proud Mexican-American wife and dog-mom. My favorite things to do are to spend time with my husband Richie and our dog Kylie. I consider myself an easily amused person, and I love to laugh. I also truly enjoy working with students! Although I tend to be more quiet and reserved, I really do get my energy from students around me and feed off their enthusiasm and passion. I believe in quality friendships over quantity and am much better at conversing one-on-one than in large groups. I do not like seeing individuals left out (whether self-imposed or imposed by others), so I will do what I can to make them feel included. I love spending time with family, and although I only have one sister, I have 27 first cousins who might as well be my siblings as I talk to them regularly even though none lives nearby. I love traveling and try to plan one big trip per year; this year, it’s Iceland! I am also addicted to watching Food Network and HGTV! I am in the midst of my own home renovations, so if anyone wants to go to visit/shop at Magnolia Market in Waco, TX, let me know!

During college, I was definitely not as involved as I should have or could have been. I completed my undergraduate degree at Florida State University studying International Affairs. I participated in a cultural exchange program while at FSU, and was able to spend 3 weeks in Dresden, Germany. That experience taught me so much about myself and spurred my love for travel. I still keep in touch with some of the German students I met over 10 years later! During my time as an undergraduate, I worked as a Student Assistant in the Residence Life Office. It was in this role that I realized working at a college and with college students was even an option. I completed my graduate degree at the University of Dayton and studied College Student Personnel. After living in the snow for the only two years of my life, I came back to Florida. The piece of advice that I wish I had known is that if you screw up your GPA early on in your academic career, you will spend the rest of the time struggling to get it back.