Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself – where you live, about your family, what you did before DE?
A: I live just outside of Pittsburgh, PA with my husband, Isaac, and our three children. I grew up in Kansas, but moved here in 2014. Before DE, I worked at my college newspaper doing advertising design, then I was a nanny, then I worked for a large company designing local ads that appeared on TVs in corporate gyms all across the country. Then I became a stay-at-home mom and did freelance graphic design work.
Q: How long have you been at DE and what brought you here?
A: I started at DE in February 2022. What brought me here? Hm… long story short: Luke Crawford.
Q: Who is your favorite saint and why?
A: St. Thérèse of Lisieux. I read Story of a Soul a few years ago and was in complete awe of how she turned small inconveniences or annoyances into great ways to give God glory. Reading the ways that she chose to silently suffer made sainthood feel, dare I say, attainable. From meeting with the Pope and demanding entry into the convent at a young age to befriending the crankiest nun to her silent suffering at the end of her life – the way she chose to live her life is one that I can only hope to imitate even just slightly.
Q: What is your favorite liturgical season? Do you/your family have any traditions surrounding it?
A: Advent! I always have all Christmas gifts purchased and wrapped before Advent starts. Isaac and I work really hard to build the anticipation of Jesus coming throughout Advent. We emphasize the “wait” and by the time we attend Christmas Eve Mass, we are all SO excited and can hardly contain our joy that Jesus is born! It’s so fun and really reinforces the fact that Christmas is all about Jesus – not the gifts.
Q: If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
A: Rome.
Q: What advice would you have for someone new joining the DE team?
A: Lean in to the culture and people. The best part about being a part of the DE team is the team itself. I absolutely love working alongside people striving for holiness in and outside of their work.
Q: What book(s) are you currently reading?
A: I typically read between 50-70 books a year, but I absolutely cannot read more than one book at a time. I’m currently re-reading one of my all time favorites: My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell. It’s so good, and I’d highly recommend it to any and everyone.
Q: What’s your favorite meal?
A: Steak and mashed potatoes. Followed by a hot brownie and vanilla ice cream.
Q: Tell us about a hobby or talent you have that someone wouldn’t expect.
A: I can list every president in order… in song form.
Q: What do you love most about DE?
A: Every single thing I do at DE points to glorifying God. That is something I’ll never take for granted: finding a job where I can confidently live out my faith, surrounded by people trying to do the same. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I get to work alongside my husband. Working at DE has done so much for our family. I could write a whole book on the ways God has blessed us throughout this time in our lives.