Becoming me

As a high schooler in Peoria, Illinois, I knew two things I wanted when I started looking at colleges — to study business and technology and to leave Illinois.

 My parents told me I could move no more than six hours away from home, so I took out a map and drew a circle that equated to six hours outside Peoria. Just inside that circle sat Dayton, Ohio, and UD’s campus. Dayton also happened to be one of the only schools in the Midwest with a management information systems program. Done deal.

From the start, I knew UD was where I wanted to be.

I’m a hands-on learner, and UD’s commitment to experiential learning was exactly what I needed — starting with Flyer Enterprises.

I joined at the end of my first year, doing work to improve operations at ArtStreet Café. That launched a three-year journey leading teams, solving business problems and creating Flyer Enterprises’ first chief information officer role. As a student, I couldn’t believe I was building my own IT division for a company — something that still exists today.

Tom Davis, my stats professor, helped me fall in love with statistics and Excel — two things I never thought I’d say. He made numbers make sense. I still think about him often — he also taught UD’s legendary wine tasting class, where I met one of my best friends.

But while I was excelling academically, there was something I was still searching for: my true self.

Sophomore year, I began to realize I wasn’t straight. I didn’t have the words to express it — I’d grown up in a religious household where these things were not discussed — but it became clearer when I developed feelings for a friend in one of my classes.

At that time, UD didn't have the LGBTQ+ visibility it has now. Not many fellow students were out, and there were no established student groups or safe spaces on campus outside of Campus Ministry. While I never faced overt discrimination at UD, there was a silence around queerness that made it hard to know where I fit.

I was beyond lucky to form a kind and supportive circle of friends who held me up and helped shape who I was becoming. Looking back, I realize many of the barriers I felt were ones I created myself — fears of rejection or exclusion, which is a big part of why I stay connected to UD now. 

As a student, I didn't meet any alumni who were LGBTQ+. I want today’s students to see someone who looks like them, who loves like them and who’s built a life they can be proud of. It’s also why I joined UD’s School of Business Advisory Council.

Today, I'm managing director at KPMG, leading our national cyber response and resilience practice. I also serve on the board of the Human Rights Campaign. Whether it’s clients recovering from a data breach or students searching for belonging, I want to help people succeed.

UD didn't just prepare me for a career — it gave me space to grow into someone who can lead with authenticity and purpose. That’s the gift UD gave me.

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A version of this article appears in print in the Autumn 2025 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 56. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE