I was born on October 18, 1981, in Honolulu, Hawaii on the island of Oahu. From a young age, I have always had a fascination with books. Some kids throw tantrums for toys in the grocery store, but not me. I went crazy for a brand new book. I had to have one or else I closed my eyes, threw my head backwards, threw my arms by my sides and jumped up and down crying. Needless to say, this fascination with books and love for reading only intensified throughout the years. My personal collection of books has grown to fill more than five bookcases. I later discovered a love for music and singing in elementary school. Who knew that this would lead to my learning to play the French horn and playing in the marching and concert bands in middle school and high school? My talent for singing helped me to win my high school beauty pageant and the honor of “most talented” for the graduating class of 2000. Music continued to hold on to me even in college. I spent years studying as a classically trained Mezzo-soprano and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the Florida State University College of Music. I also continued to play the French horn and marched in the world-renowned 400+ member Marching Chiefs for 3 years. Today, I look forward to finishing my graduate degree coursework in Nutrition Education and Health Promotion and conducting research. I am a certified fitness, yoga, and Spinning instructor. I have a small Snoodle named Thomas. I am now the proud wife of an active duty Marine. We recently moved to the Camp Lejeune area in April. We have a beautiful 14-month-old son and are currently expecting our second bundle of joy January 7, 2012.