The hard part of telling my own story
Most people aren’t comfortable talking about themselves, and I’m no exception. Anytime I have to do it, I get shy right away. But when I look back, I can see I’ve lived a pretty incredible story. My path to becoming a doula wasn’t a straight line, and almost every stop along the way gave me something I’d need later.
Basketball took me farther than I expected
I started my college career at the University of Kansas in 2009. Between 2009 and 2013, I won several individual awards, made the Sweet Sixteen twice, and traveled to Italy, the Bahamas, and all over the country. Basketball was a huge part of how I saw myself and my future.
After graduating, I played overseas in Bulgaria and France. Later I tried out for the San Antonio Stars, now the Las Vegas Aces. When I got cut from the WNBA, I had a decision to make: go back overseas and keep playing, or start a new career.
Coaching in Salina
That decision brought me to Kansas Wesleyan University, where I started coaching. I came to small-town Kansas planning to finish my graduate program in two years and move on. About halfway through my first year, I found out I was pregnant with my first son.
So I stayed. I built a wonderful community in Salina and lived there until 2021. Besides coaching, I worked at a children’s psychiatric facility and served for a while as a campus sexual assault advocate. Both of those jobs shaped me in ways I didn’t fully see until later.
Leaving what was comfortable
The next move in my coaching career tested me. I’d spent my entire career at Kansas Wesleyan. I trusted the head coach and his vision, and we’d won a lot of games, including a championship. But I’d reached my ceiling there, and I wanted to see what I could do at the next level.
I try not to live with regrets, but leaving was a hard decision for my family. The one upside was that it brought us closer to St. Louis, where my husband was able to find a job. Eventually, we moved.
Walk into your destiny
Once we’d had some time to settle in, I threw myself into my real passion: birth work. I’d known since 2015 that this was where I was headed. I just hadn’t figured out what that meant yet.
Before my grandmother passed, she used to tell me, “Walk into your destiny.” For years I thought she was talking about coaching. Now I think she was, just not basketball. She meant birth work.
I know I’m where I’m supposed to be. I feel it every time I meet with a family, go to a birth, or visit with them postpartum to talk through how it went.
Basketball taught me to commit to something bigger than myself. Coaching taught me how to show up, build trust, and support people through big moments. Being a mom, my community, and the work I did off the court changed how I think about care. I bring all of that with me to every family I support.
So that’s how I got here. It took a while, and it didn’t go the way I planned. But now, every time I walk alongside a family, I know I’m walking into my destiny.
