In fourth grade I was introduced to the magic of a piece of paper. My school held a morning of workshops; I chose calligraphy, microwave-cooking and origami. My schedule took me to origami first. I still recall the excitement I had entering that room, seeing the instructor in a kimono and the glorious display of origami models. I was so taken with this new art form that I skipped calligraphy and microwave-cooking to stay and learn all that I could! This clearly explains my lack of cooking skills and my horrible penmanship.

I folded throughout the next 15 years learning what I could from library books. Close friends enjoyed my folding but I was, for all practical purposes, a lone folder.

It was when I moved to Phoenix, AZ, that my folding story began to grow. It was a time of turmoil for me and a dear friend asked me, “what has always brought you joy?” My immediate response? Origami. The internet was just becoming popular at that time so I searched and found a local group who gathered monthly and welcomed me for 7 years. It was here that I learned of OrigamiUSA and THE convention in New York.

I moved to Minnesota and immediately connected with the local folding group. Eventually I became the organizer/contact person of my local group. I have held this role for 6 years. In 2009 I attended the Origami USA (OUSA) convention in New York for the first time. It was such an amazing experience meeting other folders, learning the history of origami in the United States and seeing how people were applying origami to other careers. My head spun the rest of the summer.

I continue to attend OUSA each year. I have also attended Centerfold Origami Convention in Ohio, Pacific Coast Origami Conventions (PCOC), the Vancouver Convention, the AEP Convention in Zaragoza, Spain and in Barcelona, Spain, and the Cali, Colombia Convention. I presented workshops in Zaragoza and New York and I was one of the foreign special guests in Colombia. In April 2015 I taught an on-line class for OUSA.

I have a degree as a Secondary Spanish teacher and taught Spanish for 18 years. Though I loved the teaching part of my 18-year career, I resigned in August 2014 to following my bliss and share the magic of paper-folding! I love children and interacting with people.

In June 2015 I was elected to the OUSA Board of Directors. I believe it is a wonderful way for me to give back to the origami world that has truly helped shape my life.