Born in Virginia, raised in Maryland, food has always been near and dear to my heart. The women in my family have quite a way with food. It’s always fascinated and inspired me. You could always find the women in my family in the kitchen creating the best smelling and tasting food I’ve ever been lucky enough to consume. I was always at their sides as a loyal assistant. They showed me that food is love. At the age of 9, I received my first cookbook. From then on, I was really hooked. I told my mother I wanted to be a chef, make desserts & eventually own my own shop. As the youngest of our family’s first generation of Americans, that wasn’t very welcome. I laid my pastry bug and bag to rest for the time being; little did I know it’d be back with a vengeance. While attending VCU, my passion for food reawakened when I started cooking regularly & became friends with the staff at my favorite restaurants. For the first time in nearly ten years, I felt whole again. I knew it was time to follow my dreams. After graduating, I decided to attend L’Academie de Cuisine, where I graduated with distinction. Since then I’ve worked in restaurants in the DMV area, each one bringing me closer to my real dream, Ruby Scoops. Fulfilling the dreams of the 9 year old that would wake up, bake up, & haul her goods and a table to the edge of her backyard to set up a bake sale monthly. I carry that memory of my past with me in my present & walking into the future while working furiously to grow from something I’m just starting to something much bigger than me with your help!