In 2015, I began volunteering for the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Along with several friends, I became a key part of the statewide organizing process and was appointed as delegate for the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Since 2008 I regularly volunteered for Democratic presidential candidates, but after this I began receiving offers for paid campaign work. In the years that followed, I worked for national and statewide candidates, voting rights group New Florida Majority, and the Florida Democratic Party three separate times.

In 2017, I began working at a nonprofit, a subgrantee of the federal government serving as the lead agency for homeless services in northeast Florida and southeast Georgia. For the first year I drove a Ford Transit mobile office, looking for veterans needing help everywhere from downtown St. Augustine to dirt paths in Lowndes county where I had to continue on foot. I completed over a hundred referrals, helped people find their homes and shop for needs, and organized the annual Point in Time count. For the second year I met with local leaders to devise innovative diversion solutions and launched the Community Engagement & Development department to fundraise for our goals.

In 2019, I came to work for Congressman Al Lawson, Jr. in his Jacksonville district office. Here I met my professional true love: the government. I was privileged to work with an incredible district staff and every day’s work made me grateful and proud. I helped hundreds of people struggling with casework from every kind of government agency, oversaw the annual Congressional Art Competition & the appointments to our nation’s military service academies, and created official communications for the district. Through the Covid-19 pandemic we worked tirelessly from home, frequently driving to porches and driveways to keep helping people.

In 2021 I briefly worked as a 7th and 8th grade Health teacher at Lake Shore Middle School in Jacksonville. It took half a year to know for certain this job is not for me: I got all 350 of my students a Christmas gift and had to leave. Our teachers deserve to be paid so much more and do so much less.

In 2022 I began to work for the local Realtors’ association. The Congressman I worked for was supported by this group and their Government Affairs department had a sudden opening. After 8 months learning the dynamic volunteer management necessary for this role, I was recruited for the same position at the nation’s third-largest association in West Palm Beach. I worked here for two years and loved the role: working for groups of people who come together in the spirit of service and executing their ideas is something I take pride in. I was fortunate to build a professional network with countless elected officials in municipalities, counties, state and federal legislative districts as well as gain hundreds of friends who are devoted to affordable housing and access to homeownership. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work for these truly outstanding community members.

At the end of 2024, I made a hard choice and decided to move back to Jacksonville for a short period of time to think about next steps. Being close to my daughter and my painfully deficient football team is my priority at this time.