My Story

Writing and I go way back.

As early as kindergarten, I started creating books out of printer paper and sparkly crayons. My first book told the gripping story of a girl who befriended a loquacious Christmas tree. I distributed copies to anyone who would take them: moms, grandparents, gracious neighbors. Even then, I was determined to become a writer.

While I gave up on my Crayola illustration career, I continued to pursue writing and editing. In high school, I led a writing tutoring program, served as Editor-in-Chief of two publications, and wrote entertainment reviews for fun (one of which ended up in The New York Times). These opportunities pushed me to develop my own voice and pursue creative outlets outside of the classroom.

I then attended the University of Georgia, where I studied English with a focus on interdisciplinary writing. While I took a lot of great courses, the most impactful was Science Communication. I took this course at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, when we were all worried about the future and desperate for advice on how to stay safe. It was in this Zoom classroom where I learned about the importance of making technical information clear and accessible for everyone. I wrote and designed an instructional presentation, and I never looked back.

That lesson inspired me to become the technical writer, editor, and user advocate that I am today. Whether I’m writing a how-to guide, conducting a user test, or editing an error message, I strive to put myself into users’ shoes to understand their preferences, perspectives, and pain points. I like the puzzle of understanding what makes users tick... even the seemingly small things, like the placement of a button or the difference between "log in" and "sign in." My love for storytelling has evolved into a love for helping users through writing, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Experience

UX Writer

Blue Cross North Carolina | October 2023 - June 2024

• Wrote and edited all UX content for four enterprise health care portals, including error and success messages, notifications, interface body copy, calls to action, and more
• Collaborated with product owners and engineering teams to determine product strategies, including full portal redesigns, new AI chat features, and updated sales experiences
• Created user journeys, personas, and sitemaps to understand the total customer experience from the company’s public website to the customer’s portal applications and features
• Conducted user research through the UserZoom platform and collaborated with fellow UX team members to document and present findings to the product and engineering teams
• Led content design for the new UX writing role on the team, including creation of a style guide, content design standards in the team’s design system, and more

Editing Team Lead - Technical Writing & UX Writing

KnowBe4 | August 2022 - October 2023

• Led a team to edit a wide variety of cybersecurity content for KnowBe4, the world’s leading cybersecurity education company
• Edited short-form and long-form cybersecurity content, including how-to guides, security newsletters for everyday users, and user experience content
• Worked with engineers and product owners on an agile Scrum team to provide UX content and assist with the direction of different features, including KnowBe4’s first mobile app, a new security platform, and a new subscription service
• Created the company’s first UX writing style guide and standard for use in a new UX design system
• Created and maintained style resources, including a UX writing style guide and checklists
• Conducted Global English reviews to ensure that content is ready for localization
• Led fun learning activities for writers and editors, such as weekly Wordy Wednesdays

Content Editor - Technical Writing & UX Writing

KnowBe4 | August 2021 - August 2022

• Served as the lead editor for all of KnowBe4's technical content, including how-to guides, security newsletters, and more
• Established KnowBe4’s UX writing standards, including the first company UX writing style guide
• Edited a variety of content for products, from technical documentation to UX writing
• Conducted routine reviews for older content to update it to current style standards
• Led an audit of all UX writing in KnowBe4’s products for future improvements

Intern - UX Writing & Technical Writing

KnowBe4 | May 2021 - August 2021

• Wrote a variety of technical documentation, including three support articles, five Security Hints & Tips newsletters, one Scam of the Week newsletter, and one instructional video script
• Managed writing projects based on product roadmap for various development teams
• Wrote 2021 Cybersecurity Awareness Month assets, including text for four landing pages, one support article, and four Security Hints & Tips newsletters

Editorial Intern

University of Georgia | January 2021 - May 2021

• Edited full-length article submissions for an issue of a scholarly, peer-reviewed multimedia journal using the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed., and an in-house style guide
• Prepared 3 full-length articles for online publication using Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Technical Communications Intern
University of Georgia | January 2021 - May 2021

• Founded Red-Penned, a podcast about interdisciplinary writing
• Edited 5+ hours of recorded content and interviewed three subjects for the first episode
• Created and managed a new Instagram account, which gained more than 50 followers in 2 weeks
• Established program branding by creating graphics in Canva