It was the summer of 2007 and I had just finished my Bachelor’s degree at Canisius College in Business Management. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do when I “grew up”, and the payments on my student loans were coming due in a few months.
I started doing what most recent graduates do—I began sending out my resume and interviewing. I felt I could be a good fit for the financial services industry, so I interviewed with several large firms in
Buffalo. After the interviews, I was questioning if I really should be in this industry—I didn’t want to
sell people products and never talk to them again. I stopped interviewing altogether, and even with
my student loan payments looming, I took a leap of faith and decided to wait on God.
After a few weeks, I received a call from a recruiter at the MetLife office in Buffalo. I don’t even
know where she got my resume, truthfully. I went to the interview, and before it even started, I told
the woman my beliefs, what I wouldn’t do, and what I was looking for as a Christian. She looked at
me for a moment, paused, then said, “You would fit in great here”.
At the time, I didn’t realize the path I was setting out on, or how much I would enjoy it. Now, seventeen
years later, I can say that I am incredibly blessed to have a vocation that I love, with a purpose that
fulfills me.
There were many milestones through the years—education gained, degrees and designations, life lessons learned. One of the biggest was earning my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification in 2017. Then, a few years later, in 2020 (right after having a baby and during the Covid pandemic), opening my own office location in Williamsville.
More than my personal experience, I remember the people—my clients. The ones that I get to see retire with peace of mind, the ones that fought their way out of debt, the ones that earned degrees and
found careers they loved, the ones that learned to budget and save. I learned a long time ago that
what brings me joy is seeing my clients rise to meet and surpass their goals. At this stage in my career, I am looking forward to many more years in an industry that I love, helping clients achieve their dreams.
Because it’s not “work”, it’s what I love to do.