As a filmmaker in Chicago, I balance the hectic hustle of working as an independent artist with time spent climbing, camping, hiking. 

My first outdoor adventure was a three day backpacking trip when I was thirteen. It fostered a fresh sense of independence, and a deep connection to the outdoors that has since carried me across hundreds of miles of trails across the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany. Facing the challenges inherent in backpacking has not only granted me enormous satisfaction, but has taught me invaluable lessons in perseverance, redefining failure, and sitting in silence.

In 2019 I discovered climbing at a local gym in Chicago. I fell in love. It challenged me physically and emotionally, and had the potential to carry me on the kinds of adventures that had always felt out of reach. In 2021 I took a job at First Ascent, the very gym where I put on my first pair of climbing shoes. I continue to work there as an instructor and have found an incredible community amongst Chicago climbers. 

Now I rarely take a vacation without climbing outdoors for at least one day. Each time I climb outdoors I learn something new. There is a seemingly unending pool of knowledge and I'm always eager to draw from those with more experience, and to pass down my own.

When I'm not climbing, you can find me drawing, taking long walks with my dog, writing and performing in independent films, and delighting in a home cooked meal.