Pasadena is the place I call home.
When I moved to California in 2015, I immediately fell in love. The beautiful mountains, the refreshing ocean, and the amazing people. Pasadena – with its vibrant residents and neighborhoods – has quickly become the place where I feel most comfortable.
Now, I’ve planted deep roots in our city and have gotten involved in many causes I feel strongly about. Mayor Terry Tornek appointed me to the Pasadena Public Library Commission, where I work to support Pasadena’s ten branch libraries. I serve as the legislative lead for the San Gabriel Chapter of Mom’s Demand Action, a non-partisan gun responsibility non-profit. I have also volunteered my time with Headcount, a voter registration organization. Recently, I have been spending my time volunteering with the Social Justice Committee at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.
I was born and raised in Tempe, Arizona. In high school, my parents made me the deal that if I got a scholarship to college, they would help me purchase a car. This was a great incentive because we did not have a lot of money and if I did not earn a scholarship, I probably would not have gone to college. After four years of hard work, I earned a Presidential Scholarship to any in-state college. This scholarship covered tuition and a small stipend for books. To their word, my parents bought me a 2004 Saturn Ion, a car I still have to this day.
I attended Arizona State University and graduated Summa Cum Laude, with an Honors Marketing degree and Philosophy minor. Afterwards, I moved to Washington DC to attend law school at the George Washington University Law School. In law school, I furthered my desire to help the public interest. I successfully completed the Pro Bono program by donating 50 hours to various public interest clients and internships. I donated my time at places like International Rights Advocates, the Israeli Religious Action Center, Law Students for Reproductive Justice, the Jewish Law Students Association and the Attorney General’s Office in D.C.
After graduating in 2010, I returned to Arizona and worked with UMOM New Day Centers, providing free legal advice to victims of domestic violence. I had to resign this position when I was hired at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
For the next four years I worked for the Attorney General’s Office in Child Support Services. Getting children child support is an incredible opportunity. It really is an opportunity to get everyone involved back on the right track. If child support was too low, I helped raise it. If it was too high, I helped lower it. If someone wasn’t paying, I got them to pay. During my time at the AG’s office, I also helped implement an education based incentive program for people who went on to earn their GED.
After my move to California, I began a position with the California Correctional Peace Officers’ Association, serving as essentially a public defender in administrative actions for prison guards. When I’m not working or volunteering for one of my favorite organizations, I'm usually spending time in Pasadena, walking my dog, Coco, and on one of the many trails taking in the famous California sunshine. I love the outdoors and love to spend time running Tough Mudders with friends and family. I have completed over 50 Tough Mudders and ran 40 miles in 24 hours during the 2018 World’s Toughest Mudder. I also love working on that Saturn Ion mentioned earlier, and it’s closing in on 230,000 miles.
