I was born in Honolulu and grew up in Logan, Utah. In high school, I taught myself to build websites and created a site that developed a loyal following from new online friends across the country, several of whom are my oldest and closest friends today.
I left Utah at age 20 to study writing at Eugene Lang College at The New School in New York City where I received my bachelor’s degree. I interned at On magazine (once known as Time Digital magazine), part of the Time, Inc. family of publications. The magazine folded during the aftermath of 9/11.
After college, I returned to Honolulu and worked in the local magazine industry, primarily for Trade Publishing Co., for five years as a writer and editor. During the great recession, I was laid off at a time when many magazines shuttered forever. That same year, I got married and moved to Los Angeles, so my husband could attend USC Law.
At this point, I made a decision to change career paths into something that felt like it had a future in the 21st century. I was hired as an SEO writer for EFA Diamonds, Inc., an ecommerce jewelry company. I soon transitioned into the role of web developer and oversaw all of their websites and online marketing.
Once my husband’s schooling was completed, we returned to Honolulu in 2013. I continued to work for EFA for another two years, working at home and traveling back to Los Angeles every few months.
In 2015, I was ready for a new challenge and accepted the position of digital marketing manager at Pacific Historic Parks, formerly known as the Arizona Memorial Museum Association. I ran the ecommerce department, served as the in-house graphic designer, and oversaw the publication Remembrance. The biggest project I worked on at PHP was the 75th commemoration of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 2016. That was one of the most demanding and high profile projects of my career, and it was a great privilege to help make it happen.
In early 2018, I was approached by a tech recruiter about an opening at a school in Waipahu. It turned out to be a wonderful opportunity, and I soon found myself working as a software engineer for Hawaii Technology Academy, running the school information system. A year later, I was promoted to director and now serve as a member of the senior administration for the largest public charter school in the state.