About

I am blessed to serve as the Coordinator of Outreach and Engagement at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Eugene, OR (where I previously served as Intern Minister for two years). I do pulpit supply for rural congregations in Western Oregon, and officiate at weddings and funerals as needed. Though I live in Eugene, I frequently travel to Chicago, where I am completing my MDiv at Meadville Lombard Theological School.

My original graduate studies were at Rutgers University in English and linguistics. In 2018, I earned an MFA in poetry at the University of Oregon, where I also taught for two years. In 2019, I attended the Kenyon Review Writer’s Workshop for Spiritual Writing. For me, poetry and ministry are related ways of living religiously and honoring the sacred.

As a Worship Associate at my home congregation, The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration in Philadelphia, I preached regularly for three years before answering the call to ministry. I have a special interest in pastoral care and chaplaincy, and have completed three units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Springfield, OR.

My study of language has informed my poetry as well as my theology, and my academic side interests include philosophy, translation, and Anglo-Saxon literature. In 2010, I studied at the Azerbaijan University of Languages. Cross-cultural communication and interfaith dialogue are especially important to me.

I value simplicity, minimalism, and beauty, and I strive to always be available for coffee. My hobbies include hiking, camping, quilting, and snailkeeping. I was born in South Jersey and lived in Philadelphia, where I was a bartender for many years.