I grew up in Indiana, in what I sometimes jokingly call Hoosier-ville. It is a reference to the American Midwest, a place often associated with humility, practicality, and a strong sense of community. It was a place where the world felt both small and full of possibility. I remember thinking, as a kid on the school bus, that the last stop fifteen minutes away might as well have been the edge of the world. In reality, it was just a short drive from home. That early sense of scale, and how relative it really is, stayed with me.
I earned my undergraduate degree in the liberal arts at Indiana University, where I learned how to think critically, communicate clearly, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. That foundation shaped how I see the world and how I approach work to this day. I became especially interested in the human side of systems, including how people interact with tools, how decisions are made, and how context often matters as much as technical correctness.
Alongside those studies, I found myself drawn to technology as a hobby. I spent time tinkering, experimenting, and trying to understand how systems behaved in real conditions. What began as curiosity gradually turned into a deeper interest in information security and IT. That path eventually led me to pursue a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems at Boston University, with a focus on security. What attracted me to security was not only the technical challenge, but the responsibility it carries. At its core, security is about protecting people, data, and trust in complex environments.
Stepping into information security and IT felt less like a career change and more like a natural evolution. It allowed me to combine systems thinking with communication, technical depth with empathy, and problem-solving with real-world impact. It became work I genuinely enjoy, work that lets me collaborate with people from many different backgrounds and disciplines.
I came to Saudi Arabia largely by chance, without fully realizing how profoundly it would shape me. What began as an opportunity became something much deeper. The Kingdom challenged me, humbled me, and expanded my understanding of what it means to work in truly global and cross-cultural environments. The energy, ambition, and generosity of the people here reshaped how I think about collaboration, purpose, and possibility.
Today, I live and work on the shores of the Red Sea at KAUST, part of a global research community that often feels like a modern house of wisdom. It is a place where disciplines, cultures, and ideas intersect in pursuit of understanding. Working in this environment has brought me back to my roots in unexpected ways. The humility I learned growing up in the Midwest now meets the scale and ambition of a truly global intellectual setting.
Saudi Arabia has become more than a place I live or work. In many ways, it has become part of who I am. The culture, the people, and the pace of change here have left a lasting mark on how I approach my work and how I see the world.
This blog exists as a place to reflect on that journey. It is where I write to make sense of what I am learning, what I am building, and how tools like technology and AI can support thoughtful, human-centered work. It is not a polished narrative or a record of achievements. It is simply a space to think clearly, write honestly, and continue learning along the way.