My Story

In short, this is the story of a natural-born creative.

But if you'd prefer the long version, the earliest archives contain records of a toddler teaching her little sister countless dance routines, crafting animal faces out of bread dough, and designing the coolest macaroni necklaces in town. Here’s what I do remember:

By seven, I was inventing crafts to stock my small business (The Serena Store) and sell to my family and friends.

At nine, I persuaded the owner of my figure skating rink to let me choreograph my own routine for the holiday competition, even though I didn’t have a coach quite yet.

By ten, I was writing songs with my guitar to serenade anyone in my small Pennsylvania town who would listen.

At fourteen, I moved to New York City to pursue my musical theater dreams. I learned to tell stories through a rigorous schedule of dance classes, rehearsals, voice lessons, coachings, performances, and showing up to casting calls for any and all roles, just to get the experience.

At eighteen, I realized that my heart had other plans, like, maybe… traveling the world all on my own?

My innate desire to experience and understand the world around me drove me to embark on a journey that instilled in me the utmost sense of confidence and an ability to talk to anyone. I had to grow up quickly as I watched my dreams become reality. I learned to problem solve quickly and effectively and improved my ability to think independently and be resourceful. On a budget of $25 a day, I navigated public transportation in 25 countries and 5 continents, studied ballet in Paris, practiced my French and began learning Spanish, fractured my spine in the Philippines, became a yoga teacher in India, taught yoga, hiked volcanoes, and learned about textile design in Guatemala, and conquered my fear of getting injured again by learning to surf in Costa Rica. I ended the journey with friends that feel like family living on every continent. I also picked up photography, videography, and video editing as I documented my travels on my Youtube channel and taught prospective gap year students how to budget and plan their trips.

After two awe-inspiring gap years, I moved to Los Angeles to resume my studies at the University of Southern California. While experimenting with French, Spanish, and Public Relations majors, I got extremely lucky when I signed up for a design fundamentals course and discovered my passion. I was fortunate to take a Graphic Design in Fashion course which inspired me to envision myself as a creative director and designer. Neatly, my theatrical past came full circle when I took on a role as a costume designer for a production at USC. For me, it feels as though I was always destined to create, regardless of medium.

Combining further art and design coursework with my love for the world led me toward a path in graphic design and sustainable fashion. I see the way that we dress as somewhat of a universal language and the opportunity to communicate a message and create positive change in and out of the industry.

In the future, I hope to work in the world of fashion and design in Los Angeles, New York, and abroad.