About Me
I teach teenagers how to make games. Which means I spend my days explaining why their boss fight feels unfair, why their economy is broken, and why playtesting matters even when it hurts. It's the best job I've ever had - and now I want to be on the other side of production.
I have dual degrees in Applied Mathematics and Education from Marshall University - a combination that turns out to be surprisingly useful for designing progression curves and balancing game economics.
For the past 5 years I've been a STEM instructor at Georgia Cyber Academy, teaching Game Design, Computer Science Principles, and Intro to Software Technology to 125+ students in a fully remote environment. I build curriculum the way I'd build a game: clear onboarding, meaningful progression, and feedback loops that actually help people improve. I've written design doc templates and examples, balance spreadsheets, and rubrics aligned to state standards. I've tracked student completion funnels and iterated on lesson pacing when the data told me that something wasn't working.
Now I'm ready to apply that same systems thinking to games people play - not just games people make in my classroom.
I have two gaming modes: peaceful farming (Stardew Valley, Fields of Mistria) and "why did I stay up until 2am pulling for a character I didn't need" (Arknights, Azur Lane). Somewhere between those extremes, I developed a habit of analyzing everything - event pacing, economy balance, what makes a daily mission feel rewarding versus annoying. It's a sickness, but a useful one.
Outside of games, I live in North Carolina with my husband, three cats, and a bearded dragon named Little Guy. I spend my free time drawing, kayaking, woodworking, creating pottery, and writing.