My Story

I never wear a tie. 

My dad was diagnosed with early onset Dementia in the late years of my childhood. I was 10 when I first saw him hesitate as he was tying his tie. Around the neck…cross the thick end over the thin…or was it the other way around? He took off the tie and started over. I had seen him tie his tie hundreds of times as he dressed for his job as a private banker. Something wasn’t right.

After weeks of the same scene, I went online, searched for a “how-to” video tutorial, and handed him a pre-knotted tie. He hesitated, but he reached for the tie and stared as he held it out in front of him, stretched at full length. It was the first time I saw that look in his eyes – one that became all too familiar each time he lost another sense of his independence.  

Just six months later, the disease took a stronger hold and put an end to my dad’s once-thriving career. My stay-at-home mom was forced to take over Dad’s job of paying the mortgage and putting food on the table. As she struggled to pay the bills and save our family, she also turned to a financial advisor for help as she desperately tried to pull us out of this nightmare. His advice led us to nearly lose the home that was always my dad’s dream to own.   

I didn’t fully understand everything that my family went through growing up – I just knew it wasn’t fair, and that I was angry. But, on the day that I buried my dad, I buried that anger with him. I latched onto one memory: my dad’s tie. Two years after his passing, when I was a sophomore in college trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I realized something: I was an eyewitness to the devastating effect that a lack of planning can have on a family. My experiences have now guided me towards much more than a career – they’ve given me a purpose.

Also, at Abacus, nobody wears ties.

How I’m expanding what’s possible with money

Working to strike the right balance between savings and debt management while building my emergency fund and paying down student loans.

Outside of work, my passions include

After moving to Los Angeles from the Washington, D.C. area, I spend free time exploring the many sites and attractions the city offers. As an avid sports fan and Virginia Tech alumnus, when not out adventuring I spend Saturdays watching college football and supporting my Hokies. I have a strong passion for volunteer work with the Alzheimer’s Association and also participate in the “Walk to End Alzheimer’s.”