I am currently a fourth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Houston. I was raised in the Metro Atlanta area and stayed there through the completion of my bachelor’s degree in 2007. After earning a bachelor’s in Economics from Spelman College, I moved to Houston, TX to begin a career as an Oil and Gas Financial Analyst. Throughout my career, I managed the financial outlook for portfolios ranging from $6m to $1.5bn. Although I enjoyed the challenges of my career, after 7 years I decided to make a career change to become a Psychologist. Prior to entering the Ph.D program, I worked on several research projects at the University of Houston. I worked on the Stress and Health and FRESH AIR data collection projects. I also presented my research on “Social Norms and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in African-American Adults by Sex and Income Status” in the American Academy of Health Behaviors. As a doctoral student, I will continue researching minority stress with a focus on health risk behaviors. I am particularly interested in exploring LGBTQ and African-American populations.

In my free time I enjoy traveling, shopping, cooking, and spending time with friends and family