Emily was born and raised in the swampy, mythical, and strange land of central Florida. She grew up playing fast-pitch softball and rescuing stray cats. A nerd by heart, Emily graduated summa cum laude from Rollins College with a degree in Latin American/Caribbean Studies and Spanish. During her collegiate career, she was lucky enough to begin her life-long journey of traveling to places such as Costa Rica, Brazil, Thailand, Nepal, Nicaragua, Hawaii, and more. During this time, she learned Spanish and Portuguese. Eventually, she found herself in Oregon studying natural building and permaculture. She has lived off-grid multiple times and feels a strong connection to the healing properties of nature. In the past few years, she has worked for non-profits such as Huerto de la Familia and Aprovecho, while volunteering at Child’s Way Charter School with at-risk youth. Emily’s passion for psychology and interpersonal relationships eventually urged her to apply to a job at New Vision and she has fallen in love with it. During her off-shift, she enjoys hiking, reading, biking, backpacking, playing guitar and piano, and going on adventures with her partner, and her wonderful therapy dog, Bark