I used to think it was inevitable. That constantly pushing myself (and being pushed) beyond my physical and emotional limits was just part of the job. I also assumed that the responsibility was mine and mine alone. If I could just manage my time better, set stronger boundaries, or “take better care of myself,” then things would be different.

But as a public health professional, I began to recognize a more complex reality. While some of my personal habits absolutely contributed to my experience, so much of my burnout was shaped by larger, more structural forces that made sustained well-being difficult.

While personal choices do matter, we can’t “self-care” our way out of toxic workplaces or relationships, emotionally unsafe spaces, or systems that exclude our voices from the decisions that affect us most. 

I now define wellness as a dynamic balance between the individual, social, and structural conditions that shape our lives. 

Think social determinants of health as experienced through the nervous system. 

This definition has guided my work and, in practice, it anchors what gets examined and what gets addressed. That means paying attention to who is included in decision-making, whose voices are missing, and how context frames lived experience.

I hold a Master of Public Health (MPH) and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Northeastern University, along with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Quinnipiac University. Over the past decade, I have worked across nonprofit, public sector, higher education, and corporate settings, with a focus on public health program development, fitness and wellness, human services, and social impact. My experience includes roles with organizations such as athenahealth, Roxbury Community College, the Center for Community Health Education Research and Service, Inc., Mattapan Community Health Center, Northeastern University, Commonwealth Sports Club, and Boston University.