I started working outside the home with my mom’s cleaning business when I was still in the single digits. In my teens, I mowed lawns for my teacher’s lawn company. Shortly after, I began working for a manufacturing company, soldering components onto circuit boards, learning what it feels like to do the 9 to 5 in a small-town manufacturing facility. I also worked in restaurants, doing dishes and running the cash register in the evenings, saving money for college.After moving to the city, I attended art school and worked for various departments, including the copy room, shoveling snow, and recycling. My first job in the arts was at the Walker Art Center, where I worked in security. I volunteered in the library and membership development, and worked in Event Maintenance and on the art installation team. It was there that I got my first inkling of what I wanted to do as a career. I heard one of the installation techs from France talking about going to conservation school, which lit a fire in me to pursue further education after my BFA in painting.I started studying on the side while working at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts museum and lucked into a training position at a local gallery and conservation studio. I’m looking forward to expanding my opportunities and adding to my work life. On the side, I enjoy painting, backpacking, camping, activities with the family, and morning coffee on the porch.