I was born and grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. My father immigrated to the United States from Lemnos, Greece and my mother was born on a dairy farm in Orwell, Vermont. I moved to Knoxville, Tennessee when I was 17 to attend the University of Tennessee where I earned a Bachelor's in Architecture. During my undergraduate years, I sought out educational opportunities in education, the studio arts, and art history, which eventually led me to teaching art. I returned to the University of Tennessee and earned my Masters in Education and have taught in Knox County Public Schools for 19 years.