What I love most about being a pediatrician is watching kids grow, sharing their lives and taking care of the entire family. As a parent of two teen daughters and a son who is almost a teen, I enjoy sharing what I have learned as a parent and it is rewarding to help families through tough times like illness or difficult behavior challenges.

I knew I wanted to be a doctor since grade school. I used to check out library books about being a doctor and this continued through high school. I knew pediatrics was my calling once I started my residency at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. I loved working with the other pediatricians, and knowing our work was meaningful.

I spent my early childhood on Kwajalein, an island in the Marshal Islands, and then later moved to Gresham. Growing up my family and I loved to travel and attend sporting events. My family today is very similar. My husband and our kids enjoy traveling, even long road trips, which we manage to do well together. We have a Bichon Fox Terrier mix dog named Lucky and a new snake named Charlie, who I don’t touch.

My motto is, “Trust the process.” The motto rings true in my life, whether it applies to consistency with parenting or exercise. I love watching movies and my bucket list includes traveling to Italy, seeing Michael Phelps swim live, attending the Olympics and taking my dad to Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.