I dont know if it was the twinkly lights on Third Street, the Linfield student discount at Serendipity or the breathtaking backcountry drives that stole my heart first. Needless to say I am pretty insane about McMinnville and am pretty proud to have the pleasure a hidden gem in Oregon that I have the pleasure to call my home away from home.

I grew up in the suburbs of Vancouver, Washington before moving to McMinnville in August of 2011 to begin my college chapter. The transition was a bit difficult at first, but it wasnt long until I fell in love with McMinnvilles small town charm. I am in my final semester studying Mass Communication and minoring in Psychology.

During my freshman year I played basketball for the Linfield Womens squad, but after the first season I decided there was too much out there in the world that I wanted to explore, so I gave it up. Since then I have been able to get more involved in the Linfield and McMinnville communities. I started writing for the Linfield Review as a sophomore and quickly took on a position as features editor and then later copy chief. Being a reporter was the perfect position for me - a free pass to pick strangers brains. In the fall of my junior year I started an internship at the News-Register, covering community events. I spent the month of January during my junior year in the Bahamas studying Island Healthcare and specifically Type II Diabetes. Making friends with the local school kids and a three day kayaking trip on the Caribbean were two of my favorite memories! In the spring I began working part-time at the News-Register, helping cover McMinnville sports and Linfield athletes.

The summer between my junior and senior year I was selected by the University of Oregon from a pool of applicants for a 10-week paid journalism internship. I was placed in Astoria, Oregon for the summer and spent the summer covering community events such as the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, Miss Oregon Pageant in Seaside, Finnish Folk Days, the annual Goonies Festival and the Astoria Music Festival. Having a studio apartment on the Oregon Coast all to myself was just what I needed before setting off for Norway in August.

This past fall I spent the first semester of my senior year studying journalism in Oslo, Norway. During the four months, I took two classes - Journalism in a Changing Europe and Climate Change Journalism. I had an opportunity to visit the famous Lofoten Islands in the Article Circle for my climate change course, and with my changing Europe class I traveled to Brussels to tour Parliament and listen to President Barrosos final press conference. While I was in Norway I worked as an English-speaking au pair for a Norwegian family. A couple times a week I picked up Selma (6) and Jakob (8) from school to help them with their homework, cook them dinner and share with them some of my favorite American traditions, like carving pumpkins! I had an absolutely unbelievable time living in Norway and had the opportunity to travel a lot outside of Norway. I traveled to seven other European capitals besides Oslo including Paris, Helsinki, Riga, Brussels, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen. While I was in Norway I also had a chance to contribute as a freelancer for the Daily Astorian to uncover the deeply rooted connection between Astoria, Oregon and Norway. I traveled to a farm for a week interviewing Norwegians about their ancestors who immigrated to Astoria in the 1800 and 1900s. I nerded out so hard - it was awesome! Seeing the Northern Lights dance across the sky was by far one of my favorite moments. Ever.

Coming home from Norway was one of the hardest goodbyes. I learned so much about myself and the world and just wasnt ready for the adventure to be over. Returning to McMinnville really only meant one thing to me - graduation. Something I had not thought about for a really really long time.

I was sitting in the Linfield library one night when I stumbled upon a listing for the McMinnville Downtown Association in search of a Social Media and Marketing Intern. The internship sounded AWESOME - like a position I imagined myself applying for once I graduated. Eh, why not? I thought and whipped up a quick cover letter to shoot into the dark. Your experience is exactly what we are looking for, is what I woke up to the next morning. Unbelievable. Days later I was sitting in the McMinnville Ballroom drooling over all the ambitious business owners I happened to be sharing oxygen with. Too cool :)

My hobbies include crafting (I love me some ModPodge and glitter), exploring the Pacific Northwest, traveling, daydreaming about traveling, writing, going to the beach, watching scary movies, yoga and meditating and spending time with happy people.

If you see me around town (my red hair is hard to miss) please, please stop me. I would love to meet you and talk about what I can do help you and ultimately McMinnville thrive. I am passionate and endlessly curious about McMinnville and cant wait to help make it an even better place to call home.