My Background

As an Anthropologist, I have had focus on understanding human cultures and behaviors through research methods that provide deeper insights into the actions and motivations of people. I grew up in a Southern California town where I didn’t see the world beyond the desert mounds and joshua trees. Since my upbringing I have obtained two advanced degrees, lived and worked in the California Bay Area, and have been one the lifelong journey to learn who I truly am. I have a great love for music, people, pop culture, technology, and my closest friends, families, and pets.

I received my Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology & Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2018. I learned about Psychological Anthropology and Anthropology of Sound that allowed me to marry the loves of the mind, music, and experience. Two years later, I graduated with a Master’s in Applied Anthropology from San Jose State in 2020. I worked on campus as a Dean’s Assistant, a Peer Advisor for undergraduate students, and even went on to become an academic advisor. That experience allowed me to continue to foster my passion for education and enhancing the student institutional experience. My previous work experience and ability to obtain both of the academic degrees have been insightful milestone I continued my prospective career journey.

Following my graduate degree, I was offered an Apprentice position as a User Experience / Design Researcher. It was a one year program where I learned about complex technology, ways of working through the company, onboarded to a Software platform product, and educated myself on a daily basis. I obtained certifications, took the UX Research role in workshops and product events, and I conducted research projects alongside it all.

I currently work as a User Experience (UX) Researcher at IBM in Silicon Valley. I have over 3 and a half years of user experience training at a Fortune 100 company. My goal has been to learn and educate fellow user researchers, uncover insights to inform product teams of enhancements to the user experience, and inform directional change for both the product and research team. I’ve had countless opportunities to work with B2B customers, perform qualitative and quantitative research across products, and be part of educational development opportunities where I was both student and teacher.