About me

Though I’m based in Germany, I am from Southern California. I grew up in Los Angeles County, on the Orange County border. You can faintly hear the fireworks at Disneyland every summer night from my childhood home.

From reporter to editor

In my last quarter at UCSB, I began my career as a staff writer for a community newspaper called the Valley Voice. I covered local and county government, arts and entertainment, business, sports, and general assignments.

Soon, I was promoted to associate editor, then to managing editor. At the same time, I edited fiction, nonfiction, and arts articles for the Voice’s sister publication, BlueEdge Magazine.

There, I gained understanding of the economics and politics of sustaining a company in a small community.

I also learned about applying exacting editorial standards on deadline. The printing press ran on a strict schedule, so we had to make sure everything was both correct and on time. Participating in that process, then helping run it, was both challenging and rewarding.

My next stop as a journalist was at the Chino Champion, in Chino, California. As a city reporter, I built relationships with people who trusted me to accurately convey complex, sensitive information to readers. I also edited a section of the paper, as well as its online presence.

I built a reputation among employers, sources, and readers for diplomacy and tact, a nuanced understanding of issues, a clear and interesting writing style, and a commitment to informing the public about issues that affected their lives. I treasure that reputation to this day.

From editor to translator

I then spent two years as an instructor of English in public schools in France. I developed a passion for communicating knowledge to students. By building a rapport with them and with my colleagues while learning the language through immersion, I strengthened my interpersonal skills. Explaining English to language learners also reacquainted me with its fundamentals and improved my understanding of how it relates to French.

I went back to writing and editing, working in a wide range of fields. In one assignment, as a national proposal writer at Volt Workforce Solutions, I wrote and contributed to successful business proposals worth over $215 million in one year.

But cross-cultural and inter-linguistic exchange had become my focus, so I decided to add translation to my skill-set.

I earned my master’s degree from the University of Westminster (London, UK) in 2013, and relocated to Germany in 2014. I have continued to build both my professional skills and my portfolio of successful projects.

I enjoy making international communication happen for clients all over the globe. And I take pride in my ongoing, rewarding business relationships.

Other accomplishments
and fun facts

I enjoy learning about and practicing strength training. As of 2023, I’ve never competed in strength sports, but nothing’s off the table. Local powerlifting meet: master’s division … here I come?

A self-taught musician, I trained myself to have sort-of perfect pitch. I play guitar and bass, sing, and am learning the piano (slowly). I’ve also done audio and video recording from time to time.

I’ve been an avid photographer since catching the bug at my first newspaper job. My favorite things to shoot are candid portraits and animal portraits. Sports photography is also great fun.