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Education & Teaching

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My work is grounded in an ongoing commitment to study — one shaped less by credentials alone and more by curiosity, care, and the belief that learning is a lifelong practice. I return to the classroom not to pivot away from creative work, but to deepen it: to give structure to intuition and language to lived experience.

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Continuing Education

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I participate in continuing education through Osher Lifelong Learning programs at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, where my coursework spans art and design history, creative writing, poetry, visual studies, language, and museum-focused learning. These interdisciplinary studies reflect the way I naturally work — at the intersection of aesthetics, narrative, and human experience.
 

Rather than specializing narrowly, I’ve intentionally pursued breadth. Each course builds fluency: in observation, in articulation, in understanding how people learn, gather, and engage with beauty in meaningful ways.

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Floral Design & Botanical Study

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In parallel, I am working toward a floral design certificate through Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, grounding my creative work in horticultural knowledge and technical skill. This training strengthened my understanding of seasonality, plant care, composition, and the discipline behind seemingly effortless beauty — principles that continue to inform both my design work and my approach to teaching.

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Etiquette Studies

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My etiquette education has been a focused and intentional extension of my work in hospitality and thoughtful living. I completed formal study through Beaumont Etiquette, including The Finishing Program, which reframed etiquette for me as a modern, humane practice rather than a rigid set of rules.
 

This work emphasized etiquette as an act of generosity: a way of making others feel at ease, respected, and welcomed. It reinforced my belief that grace is not performative, but practical — and that social confidence can be taught in a way that feels accessible, contemporary, and deeply human.

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Teaching

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This foundation of study directly inspired me to develop and teach my own etiquette course, Gracefully Modern, which I offer through CMU’s Osher program. The course brings together tradition and modern context, inviting students to explore etiquette as a lived skill set — one rooted in presence, care, and confidence rather than formality.
 

Teaching has become a natural extension of my creative practice: a way of sharing what I’ve learned while continuing to learn alongside others. Whether in the classroom or beyond it, my approach is the same — thoughtful, welcoming, and grounded in the belief that beauty and grace are meant to support real life.