: About Me

I was born a writer. My family tree consists of teachers, writers, and avid readers, so I suppose having a knack for the written word is in my genes. When I was younger, I use to write poetry about the importance of sharing, short stories about a magical bike and about the dog I always wanted but was never allowed to have. I'd cut out photos from the daily newspaper and add my own twist to the story. I grew up watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sesame Street, and Good Morning America. "Why does she always want to watch this?" my sister would complain. "Because she wants to know what's going on in the world," my mother would answer. Besides being a writer, I've always been a journalist. I've always been more of an observer than I performer. I love taking in a scene, noticing people's expressions when they speak, the details of an environment. I absolutely love telling story that reaches people. Call me old fashion, but I still believe in journalistic integrity, ethics, and democracy. I still believe in the simple truth. My heart is in every word that I write, and my soul is in every story. I am one of the fools who believe that the pen is far mightier than the sword. I strive with every work to touch my audience, to pull them into the story so that they have no choice but to empathize.

I just recently graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies. My two disciplines are LGBT Studies and Mass Communication. I also just completed an internship with The Advocate, a national gay and lesbian publication. While the job market is slow, and newspapers are laying-off employees rather than hiring new ones, I am a freelancer. I am the sports columnist for SheWired, a women's online site, and a contributor to Compete Magazine, a gay-sports publication. I hope to one day be on staff with a local newspaper to build my resume and improve my writing. Beyond that, my ultimate goal is to be a sought after magazine journalist, with enough experience and talent to make a decent living.

My passion is ...

my fiance, my family, writing

I know too much about ...

LGBT issues, discrimination, true love

My parents always told me ...

there are two sides to every story

My childhood ambition ...

to be an author

My favorite memory ...

popping the question in Vegas

Why I write ...

to educate and inspire

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

reading I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings/watching The Biggest Loser & Rachel Maddow/listening to my IPod

My first job ...

Walt Disney World

My best moment ...

graduating (it was a long time coming)

My inspiration ...

my fiance, my family, my friends, the unknown future, this amazing world we live in

Personal Finance > Managing Debt Get out of debt

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It seems like everyone and their mom is in debt right now. Did you know that entire states can file for bankruptcy? I guess it makes sense when you stop to think about it, but how did they get to that place at all? Things seem to be upside down all over the place, and people are grappling with some tough financial decisions. As of March 2009, U.S. consumer debt was at $950 billion. With the national unemployment rate at nearly 10 percent, consumers are finding it more difficult than ever to not only make their credit card payments, but decide whether to get out of debt alone or use a debt ...

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