Biography

I was born and raised in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN. From an early age, I began to develop somewhat of a knack for marketing. I used to watch television commercials and actually think up "better" slogans in my head. Much to my surprise, something quite similar to several of those slogans were used as themes for ads in following years. I first began actually identifying my love of marketing while at Hopkins High School. I joined HHS's DECA chapter in my sophomore year just a week before the district competition. I advanced in one of the top spots at the district level to the state conference, where I also was among one of the top competitors. Over the next few years, I won several awards at both the district and state conference levels and was voted by my peers to serve as president of the chapter. Also during my senior year, I took the opportunity to enroll in a program that allowed me to replace my last class of the school day with an internship. I interned with Carlson Marketing Worldwide as an unpaid intern from January until my graduation, and I was brought back as a paid summer intern until I began attending the University of Denver.

My time in DECA cemented my belief that marketing was my ideal field. My experiences with the Timberwolves and CMW have all had a great and positive effect on my personal and professional life.

From an early age as well, I developed a great interest in sports. I have been attending Minnesota Timberwolves games as far back as my memory serves, and I began my first real job there in various "fan relations" activities in the 1999-2000 season. My knowledge of sports has grown to encompass a love for all of the "Big Five" sports -- baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. I am an ardent fan of all of Minnesota's major sports teams (the Twins, the TImberwolves, the Vikings, and the Wild, and the Thunder, respectively), as well as a fervent supporter of Arsenal Football Club in London, England. Naturally, I also am a passionate supporter of all American teams competing internationally. Specifically, the United States soccer, basketball, hockey, skiing, and snowboarding teams are the organizations I follow most closely. I of course have a great affinity for all University of Denver sports teams, as well as my home Minnesota Gophers teams.

Having been such a big fan of sports, I also play several. I have played tennis for 12 years. Additionally, I am an avid alpine skier. I have been on skis for 10 seasons, and I began actually racing when I was 14. I participated for three years on Hopkins' alpine team, and was co-captain my senior year. Finally, I have been playing soccer since I began kindergarten, which amounts to 15 seasons. In that time, I have largely played in defensive positions, though I have also played on the wing. Most recently, I have begun to play goalkeeper on a recreational team that I organized at DU.

I have also been a United States Soccer Federation-certified referee for the past three years. This has provided me an excellent opportunity to interact with players, coaches, and parents from a variety of different backgrounds and has helped teach me many important human-interaction skills.

I think of myself as a very focused, highly organized, hardworking professional who thoroughly enjoys marketing, especially branding. I love working in Photoshop and allowing creativity to flow. My goal is to obtain a position in brand marketing, product marketing, account management, promotions, or advertising -- all allow me to utilize my creativity and to work on projects which I will find intriguing.