The moving boxes were stacked high in the hallway, their labels a patchwork of past and future. I was around seven when my family left the bustle of Chicago, trading city blocks for the quiet woods of New Hampshire, and eventually, the small-town rhythms of Bellingham, Massachusetts. It was there, in a close-knit community, that I finished high school and felt the weight of my family’s legacy of service, with my father having served our country, and my grandfather having made the ultimate sacrifice in World War II. Inspired by their example, I joined the U.S. Military Reserves-not just to serve my country, but to help pave my way through college.
At Framingham State University, I pored over economics textbooks late into the night, fueled by a dream of one day teaching in a classroom. Balancing full-time work and my military duties while pursuing my degree taught me the value of hard work and discipline, qualities that would later set the stage for my entrepreneurial journey. I graduated magna cum laude, degree in hand and a head full of plans. But life, as it often does, nudged me in a new direction. Instead of lecturing from a podium, I found myself sitting across from individuals and families, guiding them through the complexities of their financial lives. In helping others make confident decisions and create new possibilities, I discovered a deeper calling-one that combined my love of teaching with the privilege of making a lasting, personal impact.
