Cats have always been my people. Ever since Homeward Bound emotionally wrecked me as a child (millennials, you get it), I knew animals were my whole life path. I started volunteering at my local shelter in high school, bottle-feeding kittens, cleaning cat condos, and basically living my teenage dream—while also being the awkward kid who preferred meowing at cats to talking to other humans.

That one step turned into a now nearly fifteen-year animal welfare career. During the pandemic, I became the Humane Advocacy Manager in East Oakland, where I oversaw low-barrier community programs like the Pet Food Pantry, Veterinary Assistance, Emergency Boarding, and Spay/Neuter support. I provided case management and social-work-style guidance for pet guardians navigating really tough situations, helped people access care for their animals (and sometimes themselves), mentored shelter pros across the country, and built partnerships with veterinary clinics to expand access to care. And because “cats everywhere” is my personal slice of perfection pie, I also have spent four years working directly in veterinary medicine—general practice, emergency, and specialty surgery services—learning the heart, science, and beautifully weird realities of helping animals heal.

Basically, I turned “my special interest is cats” into an actual career… which is probably the least surprising thing about me.