I grew up in the oldest city in the US - St. Augustine, Florida. It was a quiet beach town that is more and more developed each year I visit.

As a kid, I told my parents I wanted to be a "vegetarian"; mispronounced "veterinarian"...but this would never come true with my very real fear of needles that cause me to go unconscious (I try to fight it, but it takes over and I go into shock, of sorts).

By elementary school, my artwork took a turn for JPGs over paper and canvas and I was hooked. I have always loved being in the digital age, but it swept me up with no turning back. I fought my sisters for a chance at the family computer on dial-up each night to update my all-important fan sites that my parents felt were terrible influences on me. ;)

As technology advanced, so did my need to do less hand coding and more tinkering with programs. I left Florida for college in CT and taught a Dreamweaver course in 2008 that was sorely needed back then (I was still a student, but impressed the Department Chair enough to trust me). I secured my degrees in 2009 which helped me land better and better jobs as the years passed.

Today, I work for an international tech company, but my original love is still where my heart is. I am not a vet, but I am a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator for the state, so when the vet is done with the patient, my job begins. It is the most rewarding and tiresome job...and we all [Wildlife Rehabilitators] do it without pay [monetary]. Often, the hard work is also the best/right-thing-to-do work.

Drupal 9 is how I plan on helping non-profits that assist animals. The pet industry is lucrative, but those with the least (and often, none) representation are the ones I want to help - rescues and wildlife. The public wants to always do the right thing, but the information isn't always available to them and I want to change that. The more we know and understand, the better equipped we are to make the right decision. In heart/virtue I trust.