I was born and raised in Aurora, Colorado. Before returning to college, I spent a few years in Los Angeles, California working as a television producer and writer. As an undergraduate student, I worked as research assistant for several medical research projects. I also held an internship at the Arapahoe County Coroner's office, assisting in death investigations and autopsies.
I earned my master's degree at the University of Colorado, Anschutz with Dr. David Pollock serving as my advisor. My research for my master's thesis focused on parasitoid wasps