Were you raised in a faith tradition?
I was raised Roman Catholic even though my mother’s family was Lutheran. My mother was an organist who valued the sacred music tradition of the Episcopal church, so I grew up a choir girl at Cathedral St. Paul in Erie, Pennsylvania.

How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
I moved to Arizona from Michigan in 2005 and originally came then. My son Joey was baptized here. But after my divorce in 2010 I stopped coming to church regularly. I needed to step back and figure some things out.

But I still stopped in periodically because music is what connects me specifically. I knew that Saint Philip’s was something that I wanted for myself so I leaned back into doing things I love—and returned in May 2024.

Can you say more about what brought you back?
I wanted to invest back into the church because I knew it would make me a better person. This is where I want to put my time and energy.

What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
It’s the perfect blend of traditional and open-minded with a heart. The tradition makes me feel close to my mother and grandparents all of whom have now passed away. And the stillness is important with all the noise in the world.

One of the reasons I fell in love with Saint Philip’s is the role of woman and LGBTQ+.

As a girl, I wasn’t allowed to be an altar-server, even after petitioning the diocese. My aunt, a nun passionate about educating girls, nurtured my fighting spirit. Now I experience the joy of women reading the gospel and celebrating the liturgy.

With close family members and loved ones who identify as gay and lesbian, I couldn’t worship anywhere that didn’t fully support this community.

How are you involved at Saint Philip’s?
I’m in the choir. I started out with the summer volunteer choir. That was fun and a great way to resume having music in my life. I then decided to commit to the Saint Philip’s choir during the program year.

I’m also a member of the Finance Committee.

What do you do professionally?
I work in commercial real estate, financial analytics.

What does that involve?
We work with institutions that rely on real estate investment, such as pension funds and investment trusts. I oversee a team that watches markets and values different investments every quarter. There’s a lot of financial modeling involved.

How did you get into that?
I worked in property management for many years but excelled in forecasting and investment reporting. COVID gave me the opportunity to work remotely out of state. Now I work full-time for a Toronto based consulting company.

What would you like more of in your life?
I’m always searching for ways to become more organized. Anywhere I can find order gives me peace of mind.

That’s more than an abstract concept for you, correct?
It is. Not long after I started choir in September 2024, my then 15 year old son had his first epileptic seizure. I controlled absolutely nothing.

He couldn’t be left alone and I went through the struggle of asking myself if this was the right time to re-commit to church. I’m so glad I decided to continue on this journey and discovered how much the structure of prayer and singing has kept me grounded.

Choir practice on Thursdays and worship on Sunday serve as footholds that help me move forward during times that are very scary.

And how do you manage the situation now?
I try to navigate chaos with some grace for myself. I’m also trying to build an intentional community for us. I’m learning how to trust and rely on others. And I’m very blessed to have a big family that supports me.

What’s something you know now that your younger self didn’t?
That one of the most valuable assets is time. When I was younger I didn’t value time and gave mine away indiscriminately.

What changed?
I’ve watched many women in my life burn out giving.

I recognized my own tendency to do this, and now carefully consider where I spend my time.

What do you like to do with your new-found time?
I take more time to care for myself. I lift weights and started boxing again. I also enjoy reading classic novels that have ageless lessons in them. I’m currently reading Crime and Punishment. And I love to go dancing; that’s so much fun!

Do you have a guilty pleasure?
The breads at Barrio Bread and Time Market. And pastries!

What gets better as you get older?
Wisdom. I’m now more at peace and comfortable with myself. What other people think isn’t as important. When I was younger I let others’ opinions define me.

What comforts you in the worst of times?
Music. Listening to it but mostly singing it. Singing is my preferred method of prayer.

Is there anyone who inspires you?
Tina Turner. She lived a second life, finding peace and happiness after much turmoil. Many don’t realize she did this through grounding herself in Buddhist chant. I’m inspired by the spiritual power she found in connecting to her own voice.

What’s something you’re proud of?
My career.

My conservative upbringing and work culture pressured me into traditionally female administrative support roles. Through my work, I recognized strong math abilities and a desire to lead.

During COVID, I took a chance and started working for myself. It wasn’t easy, but the experience was validating and empowering. I’m now on an upward trajectory.

Is there a place that played an outsized role in your formation?
Germany. I grew up as a military brat and spent my formative years from ages 2-6 in Erlangen (near Nurenberg). We lived there when the Berlin wall came down. That was a big thing. The change and excitement were in the air living on the border during that time.

What’s something you know now that your younger self didn’t?
I’m a lot stronger than I thought. Bad things can happen and I’ll still be ok.

What’s one of your core values?
Honesty. I think life’s hard enough so just give it to me straight. I don’t want to have to figure out what’s real and what isn’t. I appreciate directness, honesty, and transparency. Even if someone has something hard to tell me, better to let me know.

What’s something unexpected in your life right now that you’re grateful for?
I never expected to go back to choir. I thought it was something I used to do and would enjoy only from the pews. I’m grateful that music is back in my life in this way.

What’s one of your super powers?
I’m very resourceful; I can figure anything out. That comes from living in chaos. There’s no problem that’s too challenging.

What’s one of your guiding principles?
How I recover after failure is more important than how I fell. Keep moving forward.

What’s something about you that friends tell you they really appreciate?
That I enjoy having fun.

What’s something you haven’t done that you’d still like to?
I want to attend the Bregenz Festival in Austria. An opera is performed every summer on the water. The stage sets are otherworldly, and it looks like an amazing experience.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?
That despite my soft appearance, I’m actually quite strong. If you need help lifting something I’m your girl.

What have I not asked that you would like people to know?
I can by shy and may appear introverted, but I’m very happy to meet and talk to anybody. I like to help!