About

The first time I was made aware of the transaction nature of my abuse was in fourth grade, when "I knew what I needed to do" was the answer to too small and ripped shoes needing replaced for gym class. My mother's meth addiction, personal history of childhood sexual abuse, lack of employment, and other factors had fueled this trade to begin many years prior but the transactional quality to this arrangement had not been made explicit until then. It would take over fifteen years before I was ready to begin healing and began looking for the words to label my abuse.

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Giving my abuse a name- sex trafficking, or more specifically interfamilial sex trafficking- was an emotional experience. I began to look for others who had faced similar life-altering, developmentally impactful events and hoped for community. Instead, I found programs centering their rescue and salvation efforts seemingly exclusively for the worthy young girls, kidnapped, and bound to a bed. This false narrative of how youth in the United States become involved in sex trafficking was harmful to me and its continued perpetuation has and will continue to impact survivors. 

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This work and my future endeavors seek to highlight the realities of being a survivor and advocate for meaningful and accurate representation, appropriate programs and services, and opportunities to heal, develop one's identity, and find community for life long support.

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In my free time, I enjoy spending time in nature, paddleboarding, kickboxing, playing board games and interacting with pets, Frodo, Boromir, and Sauron.