Why I am in this Race

I am running to be your Michigan senator because of the current state of our lives. From a young age I knew I wanted to participate in government, and now is the right time.

Watching what was happening across my community is what convinced me to run. I kept seeing residents who felt ignored. Then the proposed data center came to my township, and I started attending township meetings, city council meetings, and town halls throughout Oakland County. What surprised me wasn’t just the issues. It was how few people were there and how often elected officials weren’t showing up either.

I realized I couldn’t keep asking why someone wasn’t doing something. I had to become one of the people willing to do something.

Another reason I’m running is because I worry about the future our children are inheriting. As artificial intelligence and automation continue replacing jobs across more industries, I keep asking myself what kind of future my children and everyone else’s children will have if we don’t start preparing now.

I don’t believe we can ignore these changes. Our policy makers need to be thinking ahead, helping workers adapt, creating new opportunities, and making sure technology benefits people instead of leaving them behind.

I believe the government should listen to the people before making decisions, not after.

Service

Serving others didn’t begin when I decided to run for office.

Since I was eighteen years old, I’ve helped six young people graduate from high school through mentoring, encouragement, and support. My oldest daughter has now graduated as well, making that seven young people whose graduation I’ve had the privilege of helping guide.

I’ve always enjoyed volunteering because I believe it’s simply the right thing to do. I donate my time whenever I can, help people financially when I’m able, mentor young people, and try to be there whenever someone needs help.

I want people to know that public service isn’t something I started because I became a candidate. It’s something I’ve tried to live out for most of my life.

Life Long Learning

I was incredibly fortunate to be able to attend Henry Ford Academy. At Henry Ford Academy we utilized block scheduling and I firmly believe this schedule and the advanced technology we were given allowed us to learn successfully. Technology needs to be used to enhance education, not replace books and real instruction. I have remained close with my classmates for over twenty years. They still invite me to reunions (I just attended my 20th) and class events, and I consider them lifelong friends.

I have always believed education doesn’t stop when school ends. I read every day and have spent years teaching myself law, public policy, accounting, business, coding, contracts, website design, psychology, anthropology, and many other subjects because I believe good leaders never stop learning.

Entrepreneurship

I started cutting grass and raking leaves around my neighborhood when I was in fifth grade. When I was 14 I started selling candy bars at school to make money. I guess entrepreneurship has always been in my blood. During high school, I began working blue collar jobs like construction, order selecting, and line work in various plants. I have always been a hard worker and been made supervisor in almost every company I have worked at.

About 7 years ago I started my own lawn care company. One of the things I’m most proud of is my customer retention. My customers stay with me because I believe in doing quality work and treating people right. Over the years I have also worked to develop a mobile mechanic app and founded a staffing agency. While those endeavors are no longer viable, I learned immensely valuable lessons from each.

These ventures have afforded me opportunities to grow into a strong leader who knows how to support my employees while producing exemplary results.