Ever since I took creative writing and journalism classes in high school, I knew I wanted to be a writer. Reading was my favorite hobby and I wanted to give people the same entertainment and escape that books had always given me. Authors inspired me and even helped shape my life. Had it not been for historical writer John Jakes—through his book North and South—I might not have discovered Charleston, South Carolina, where I eventually went to college.  

     After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology, and not quite ready to settle down, I applied for and received a coveted working holiday visa to Australia. I stayed in Sydney for two years, with a year in between in Washington DC, where I worked in International Education. 

     But Charleston has a unique way of calling people back 'home' and I soon returned, pivoting to working with children who struggled with learning differences such as dyslexia. I became trained in the Orton-Gillingham method and was privileged to help others do what I loved most: read and write. I also took classes toward a Masters of Counseling from The Citadel. During this time I met my husband. We were blessed with a baby boy.

     Having journaled and written stories since I was younger, and encouraged by writing classes and conferences, I began writing fiction and essays. My first essay, An unexpected blessing in ‘unplanned’ Siamese kitten, was published in the Charleston Post and Courier in 2017, and I began writing regularly for the Moultrie News in 2023. 

     One day the phrase 'Nearer to Thee' came to me. A derivative of the song Nearer My God to Thee, it serves as a reminder of the goal of my column, and a mission statement I wrote for my life decades ago: To encourage people and help them grow closer to themselves, to others, and to God, through writing and teaching.