I am from Richmond, Indiana in the United States and I have had a variety of experiences that led me to the field of international education. After not leaving the United States until my late teens, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Europe and Central America, which resulted in a seismic shift in my thinking and perspectives. After college and a year in Germany on a Fulbright grant, I became professionally involved in both study abroad programming and international student services.

I have a BA in German Language and Literature from Earlham College (Richmond, Indiana, USA) and an MEd in International Higher Education from Loyola University Chicago (Chicago, Illinois, USA). In 2022 I earned a PhD in Cultural & Educational Policy Studies (also from Loyola University Chicago), focusing on comparative and international education and sociology of education. My dissertation was a qualitative study of the impacts of visa and study permit policies on international post-secondary students in Australia, Canada, and the United States.