Venango County has always been my home. I grew up in Dempseytown and while in college at Slippery Rock, returned home for summers and holidays. I then lived in Morgantown, West Virginia, for grad school, but returned after graduation to live and work here.

I completed my first internship with Komatsu Mining Corp. in 2012 and continued on to complete four more internships. I worked through my master’s program knowing that I wanted to work with Komatsu after graduation and was lucky enough to have that amazing opportunity.

In our area, I’m often exploring the outdoors; shopping at my favorite stores like Core Goods, The Olive Vault, and The Printers Cabinet & Curiosities; attending shows at the Barrow-Civic Theatre; participating in yoga classes at Trailasana and Impel; and eating at local restaurants like Bella Cucina, Karma Coffee Company, and Casey’s. Art and music are also passions of mine, so I love art shows at the Graffiti Gallery and live music at Karma Coffee Co., Transit Building, and Pipeline Alley.

If I’m not doing one of the activities listed above, I’m volunteering, which has helped me to increase my community involvement and meet new people in the area. This area has so much offer. Many new businesses have opened, artists have found success, and people have been able to take advantage of the outdoors and four beautiful seasons.

When it comes to success, I believe it is defined differently by each person. Success for me is to find a wonderful job in a place where I can be close to my family and have outdoor recreation options, but also have a city within driving distance. Venango County offers everything that I am looking for in that vision.