I was born and raised in the small town of Collinsville, Illinois, which is roughly 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. I grew up in a family that was predominantly Republican and identified as one for most of my life; however, I crossed over to the Democratic Party in 2018, but even my stay with them was rather short. In 2022, I graduated from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana with a BS in Political Science and minors in history, legal studies, and international studies. Having spent time on both sides of the two-party system, I realized that my place is within the independent movement.