Residence: Cherokee Village & Conway
Education: Master’s degree in educational leadership; bachelor’s degree in mid-level education
What are some unique aspects of your job? Some unique aspects of my job are flexibility and finding solutions. A lot of my roles seem to build off of each other. While at the ESO summit, I found a great connection for the state science fair with the Arkansas Research Alliance, Douglas Hutchins. He was able to connect me with the president and CEO of ARA, Bryan Barnhouse who gave opening remarks at the 2025 State Science Fair, inspiring student researchers and showing a pathway to research in Arkansas.
What’s the next big personal or career challenge you plan to take on? I would like to continue my education and pursue a doctoral degree in community development and complete the 75Strong program, a program that is led by Conductor and Startup Junkie and funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC). For my doctorate I would like to research and find solutions for ways to increase human connections in a disconnected world.
What was your dream job, and why? I started scuba diving when I was 12 with my dad, and that is where my love for water grew. My dream job was to be an oceanographer, which makes sense because my first love was science. I wanted to explore and make discoveries.
What advice would you give young women who are at the beginning of their careers? Learn all that you can. You never know what job or skill will lead to your dream job. Because of the connections I made and by pursuing lifelong learning, I built a toolbox for success along the way.
What are your hobbies? My hobbies are few, but spending time with family and friends hiking, biking, and exploring Arkansas are my favorites. We have spent spring breaks hiking the Arkansas waterfall trails near central Arkansas for years.
Who have been mentors who’ve influenced your professional career? My family has always been my mentors. My grandma, Betty Waser, who lived to be 100, was one of my greatest mentors. She always encouraged me to think for myself and do good. She was a phenomenal woman and left very big shoes to fill. I am humbled by her energy, compassion for others, and tangible evidence of a life lived to serve others. My dad taught me the gift of hard work and to use my mind to solve problems. He would teach me hands-on math, helping me to see real-world applications for an education and the value in it.
If you have a bucket list, what are the top three things on it? This is a tough question. The top of my bucket list is science community oriented. I want every student in the state of Arkansas who has a science fair project idea to have access to resources and support from a mentor so that our students can pursue their dreams to find the solutions and solve the world’s problems.
What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far? One is when my cheerleaders won state. It was a surreal moment. The ladies had overcome injuries and illness and delivered a performance on the competition mat with no infractions. We thought for sure that once again this just wasn’t their year. When they called Salem High School, we were in shock and surprised.