When I was 7 or 8 years old, I became fascinated by the “magic” behind animated worlds like The Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote, Popeye, The Lion King, and Aladdin. After discovering that the magic actually happened behind the scenes, at the hands of artists drawing frame by frame, I knew I wanted to become one of them… putting aside my other two childhood dreams of becoming a firefighter and a masked wrestler. Yep, somehow I planned to do both at the same time.

Then my grandma unknowingly showed me where animation’s real magic lived.

An incredible teacher and artist, she shared one of her favorite pastimes, drawing little stick figures across yellow sticky notes and flipping them into a tiny animation. There it was, right in front of me. For the first time, I watched drawings come to life. Frame by frame, drawing after drawing. That tiny flipbook changed everything, sparking a lifelong passion not only for animation itself, but for the artistry and technology behind how it all comes together.

That journey eventually led me to SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), where I had the privilege of learning from inspiring artists and educators like Disney Legend Phil Young. Today, that same sense of wonder continues to shape how I approach storytelling, exploring new creative tools, technologies, and ways to bring ideas to life through animation, cinematics, and collaborative creative production. Whether contributing as an artist, leading creative initiatives, or helping guide a project from concept to final frame, my goal remains the same, to create experiences that connect with people and hopefully inspire others just as those animated worlds, and one little flipbook, inspired me.