When did I learn I was passionate about public service?
I found my passion for public service 10 years ago while I was a college student working for public schools and universities.
Those jobs helped me build relationships with members of the education community, they taught me how to serve others, and I learned how to meet those in need where they’re at. The community was just as much a part of my education as my classes were.
Today I use my skills, education, and experience at the Willamette Heritage Center as the Marketing and Events Specialist where I am able to serve the greater Salem community. To see examples of my work, visit my portfolio.
So, what’s with the hand-drawn fish on my home page?
My love for sturgeon goes all the way back to my first time visiting the High Desert Museum on a family trip to Bend, OR as a child. I was so fascinated with how big and ancient they looked… almost like a dinosaur!
It wasn’t until 2018 that I met my favorite sturgeon for the first time. I decided to visit Herman the Sturgeon at the Bonneville Hatchery on a whim after hiking Multnomah Falls and fell in love. I was in awe at how much he had endured in his 70+ years of life: he was the star attraction at the Oregon State Fair for nearly 50 years, he had been repeatedly stabbed by an unidentified assailant in 1969, and survived the Eagle Creek Fire of 2017 (myodfw.com).
Herman was the inspiration for a series of ink drawings I did in 2019 as part of Inktober; the one featured on my home page just so happened to be my favorite.
