Education
Growing up with both parents employed as Educators, higher education was never optional for me. It was priority number one. I have never been the type of person to prefer learning out of a book. I learn through hands on experience. School has always been my toughest challenge because of this but it was absolutely necessary to my success. The focus on education has been passed down to my children as I hope they experience the same success I have.
University of Denver
2005-2009
Early in life I had the goal of attending the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. I transferred to University High School my Junior year in order to improve my chances of acceptance. I achieved early acceptance to the University of Denver in early 2005 through a series of successful interviews.
Through my freshman and sophomore years at the University of Denver, my major was Accounting with goals of becoming a CPA. As part of my Management requirement, I enrolled in the Entertainment and Sports Marketing Course. This course was taught by the Director of Marketing for the United States Olympic Committee. This class was the catalyst to understanding that I can take my interest in the entertainment industries and turn it into a career. I had enough Accounting credits to fulfill a minor. I switched my major to Entertainment Marketing and Management.
I was able to study under professionals in the entertainment industries rather than fulltime professors. I learned real life applications on site and learned by performing versus solely out of a textbook. I had the privilege of attending classes at Mile High Stadium, the Pepsi Center, and the Denver Convention Center. This unique coursework made me highly attractive for internships in the industry and eventually led to the coveted Risk and Event Management Internship with Kroenke Sports Enterprises.
As part of my management curriculum, I had the opportunity to take two manufacturing courses. These classes introduced me to Lean and Six Sigma. I was immediately drawn to the efficiency and effectiveness and decided to pursue my Lean Six Sigma Certification from Villanova University. I was lucky enough to see real life application of Lean when visiting a large manufacturer in Thailand. I learned that these concepts can be translated into everyday life to grow my empathy and efficiency in improving the lives of those around me.
I graduated in the summer of 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Entertainment Marketing and Management with a minor in Accounting. It was a massive achievement for me and one that I am still very proud of to this day. It was the first real example of how I achieved something that I thought to be out of my reach. Through grit, persistence, and the ability to pivot and adapt where necessary, this dream became a reality. My education laid the foundation for the professional I am today.