Abridged Life Story

My story begins back when I was a teenager watching Michael Johnson in the 1996 Olympic Games. Like most teenagers, I was excited to watch new world records set by some of the greatest athletes in the world. But what mesmerized me was not the gold medals…

It was the pure potential of the human body.

(Kind of nerdy, I know).

Since that time, I’ve spent the majority of my life searching for ways to optimize how our bodies function – not exactly what they teach in medical school.

This means I had to search for answers across many disciplines. I’ve worked as an athletic trainer, studied advanced clinical nutrition, researched and published on dietary supplements, and mastered the art of cooking.

And all these things have resulted in some pretty incredible experiences along the way, like lecturing alongside my mentor Dr. Andrew Weil and traveling the world as an elite-level athlete.

Of course, this journey was never about optimizing my performance alone. It was about empowering others to do the same for themselves.

Abridged Life Story

My parents would always say that I’d be the one to take care of them when they were older. Not that my two siblings wouldn’t, but I clearly established my skills as the superior “caretaker” at a young age.

It brings me great joy to care for others. At age 13, I became a trail ride tour guide. Helping people interact with horses and experiencing their happiness made me feel good. At 30, I faced the balancing act of being blessed with my son and type 1 diabetes. Both were difficult challenges to take on. Being a mother has been the greatest and toughest role I’ve ever had. Topping it off with an autoimmune disease hasn’t been easy. Diabetes didn’t make me feel good – mentally or physically.

After tapping out on insulin and undergoing tiring highs and lows, I tried integrative/functional medicine. I also researched ways to adjust my diet. With weekly nutrient infusions and balanced meals, I could slowly reduce my insulin intake to zero. An added bonus: I lost weight and am now healthier both mentally and physically.

Caring for others has always been my purpose – but now it’s my passion. I’m most passionate about helping people do what I’ve been able to do: Improve overall health and wellness

Abridged Life Story

My life motto has always been to “Be the change you wish to see” and that nothing in this world is out of reach. Growing up, I watched my mom put herself through nursing school and then on to become the Director of Operations for a rehabilitation center. I knew I always wanted to follow in those footsteps, and I did just that, minus the nursing part. (Although I like to pretend)

I started my career as a medical aesthetician but soon realized I wanted to pursue a career in medical administration. Throughout my career, I’ve been in different medical settings such as cardiology, plastic surgery, and dermatology but ultimately found myself with VYVE Wellness and could not be happier. Seeing the changes Integrative and Functional medicine can make in a patient’s life has been incredible to witness firsthand. At VYVE, we truly are the change we wish to see, and I could not be more proud to be a part of this mission.

Abridged Life Story

Growing up as a kid, I always listened to my parents share stories of helping their patients daily, as my dad is a doctor and my mom a nurse. I learned a lot from them starting at a young age, and I’ve always found medicine and the human body fascinating.

I pursued my Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree in college at the University of South Carolina. After college, I gained experience working at doctors’ offices and with patients daily and gaining medical insurance experience.

From all that I’ve learned, I realized I wanted more experience working on the preventative side of medicine. I am truly excited to be a part of the VYVE team and to help every patient reach their full potential.

Abridged Life Story

I have always had the gift of “gab” and have never met a stranger. If I’m honest, I could carry a conversation with a brick wall 🙂 I naturally gravitated towards positions where I worked in the front office throughout high school and college.

Since graduating college, my dream job has been to work within the healthcare industry because it provides people the unique opportunity to provide care and compassion to others.

After researching integrative and functional medicine, I was drawn to the environment curated by Dr. Haas at VYVE Wellness. Through different restorative therapies, we can provide patients with a better quality of life and target specific areas of concern. I look forward to empowering patients to optimize their health alongside my team and connecting with new people who eventually become much more.

Abridged Life Story

Ever since I can remember, I’ve been passionate about wellness and how the body heals from various ailments and issues. I’m fascinated by the complexity of the human body. It can be like a well-oiled machine and do amazing things if it is given the right nutrients with the right environmental factors. When I started at VYVE, I knew that I was surrounded by like-minded professionals, which gave me the confidence to believe in the vision of VYVE even more.

Coming from a fitness background, I have been a personal trainer and competed and placed in multiple bodybuilding competitions. It was that period of my life that led me to dive deep into the importance of having a balanced life and holistic nutrition
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Before VYVE, I had a background in oncology nursing; however, I’ve worked with groups of people from all backgrounds. One of my favorite things about VYVE is the diversity of people that come in through the door, and I love meeting new patients!

Abridged Life Story

I began working in healthcare at 16 years old when I began working as a Patient Transporter at a local hospital on Long Island, NY. For years I worked there, and I witnessed countless people from all walks of life dealing with their own health struggles and was amazed at what the staff was doing to help them. Eventually, those experiences led me to Nursing School at Stony Brook University, where I graduated with my BSN in 2018.

Like many, my nursing career started in the hospital, first working on a Progressive Care unit and then eventually a Medical Intensive Care Unit, where I have accumulated the majority of my experience. To say that the COVID-19 Pandemic changed the trajectory of my career is an understatement. After spending years of my life working in a traditional hospital setting, the pandemic opened my eyes to one of the major problems in healthcare these days. We seldom treat the patient as an individual, only as a body.

With that in mind, my path forward has become much clearer. To strive to provide excellent healthcare with an individualized approach in mind. Because everyone deserves personalized care, and our path from goals and dreams to realized accomplishment is not linear.