FACT #1
FACT #1: Brown County has always been home
I may be running for state office today, but my story starts right here in Brown County.
I grew up as an only child, living first on Old State Road 46 and later in the L.O. Griffith house on Locust Lane in Nashville until I was five, when we moved to the west side of Columbus for my dad’s work at the newspaper. But our friends and community remained in Brown County, and it was a homecoming when my parents moved back to Nashville 14 years later.
So it was no surprise that when my husband and I discussed where to build our life together, we chose to come home to Brown County.
For the past 29 years, we've lived in the same log cabin and raised our family here. Our two sons graduated from Brown County High School and are now 26 and 23 years old.
One of the greatest gifts of raising our family in Brown County was that our sons grew up with family support. Their grandparents, Jane and Stu, were part of their everyday life. When a school book was left at home, a ride was needed, or they just wanted to spend time together, Gran and Papa Stu were only a phone call away.
Brown County shaped who I am and the young men they are today. It taught them the value of community, of taking care of our neighbors, and of putting down roots.
As we kick off our $11,000 in 11 Days fundraising drive, I wanted to start by sharing a little about the place and people who made me who I am.
Whether you can donate $11 today or $11 per month, you can help us take one step toward positive change at the Indiana Statehouse. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days
FACT #2: Before I believed in myself, my teacher Mrs. Gentry did.
We all have a teacher who made a difference in our lives. Mine was Mrs. Gentry in eighth-grade English class.
Like many middle schoolers, I spent my junior high years trying to figure out who I was and where I belonged. I had braces, frizzy hair, and very little confidence. I'd been told the myth that girls weren't good at math, and I nearly failed my math classes because I was too afraid to ask questions or admit I needed help. Most days, I felt like I didn't fit in anywhere.
Then Mrs. Gentry arrived. She was a young first-year teacher, barely five feet tall, ultra-sarcastic, and completely fearless—even when dealing with boys twice her size.
Mrs. Gentry expected more from us than we expected from ourselves. She had us perform the play _You Can't Take It With You_ and introduced us to books and plays that other teachers thought were beyond our reach. She challenged us to think bigger, work harder, and believe we were capable of more.
Most importantly, Mrs. Gentry believed in me before I fully believed in myself. Looking back, I realize she wasn't just teaching English. She was teaching me to be brave—to raise my hand, share my voice, take on challenges that seemed beyond my reach, and stand my ground when it mattered.
That's a lesson I've carried with me throughout my life as a teacher, attorney, and community advocate. It's also the lesson I'll take with me to the Statehouse. The people of District 62 don't need another legislator who goes along to get along. They need someone who will speak up, ask tough questions, challenge powerful interests, and fight for our public schools, working families, and rural communities—even when it's difficult. Mrs. Gentry taught me that I was stronger than I knew and capable of more than I imagined. More than thirty years later, I'm still drawing strength from that lesson.
Who was the teacher who changed your life? Share with me on my contacts page and celebrate our teachers!
As we continue our $11,000 in 11 Days fundraising drive, I wanted to share the story of a teacher who saw something in me that I couldn't yet see in myself.
Whether you can donate $11 today or $11 per month, you can help us take one step toward positive change at the Indiana Statehouse. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days
FACT #3: I paid my way through Law School with minimum wage jobs and tips
Long before I became an attorney or a teacher, I was scrubbing toilets, waiting tables, and figuring out how to stretch a paycheck.
During my first college summer, I lived and worked at IU's Shawnee Bluffs Family Camp on Lake Monroe. I spent my days cleaning spiders out of the cabin windows and bleaching mold in the common shower room.
I spent the next three summers taking classes at IU in the morning, working for an attorney in Nashville in the afternoon, and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at a Brown County restaurant on busy summer weekends.
While attending law school in Bloomington, I worked every Friday and Saturday night serving pizza and beer at the Sunshine Inn in Nashville. Student loans covered tuition and books, but I depended completely on my tips those two nights a week to pay for rent, gas, and groceries.
Those experiences taught me lessons I couldn't have learned in a classroom. I know what it's like to hope you can make it a few more miles before you have to put $10 in the gas tank, and to leave at the end of a slow night knowing your tips won’t cover groceries for just one person that week.
As we continue our $11,000 in 11 Days fundraising drive, I wanted to share a little about the experiences that shaped my understanding of work, wages, and the challenges facing working families.
Today, when I talk about the rising cost of living, affordable housing, or wages that don't keep up with expenses, I know what it's like to work hard and still have to make every dollar count.
Whether you can donate $11 today or $11 per month, you can help us take one step toward positive change at the Indiana Statehouse. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days
FACT #4: Scouting was a family adventure
For over 10 years, Scouting was a big part of our family's life.
I served as a Den Leader for five years while my husband, Jim, was Cubmaster. As the Scouts grew, I became the troop's fundraising chair, working to make sure every child who wanted to participate could do so, regardless of their family's income.
Through cold-night campouts, heavy-pack hikes, and weeks of fun at Camp Maumee, I saw firsthand what happens when young people are given opportunities, encouragement, and strong role models. Scouting teaches leadership, responsibility, resilience, and service—values that strengthen both individuals and communities.
Those experiences helped shape the way I approach public service today. I believe every child deserves the chance to learn, grow, and succeed, and every family deserves a fair shot at providing those opportunities. That's why I'm fighting for strong public schools, affordable communities, and policies that help Hoosier families thrive.
The lessons I learned in Scouting still guide me: serve others, leave things better than you found them, and always “Be Prepared.”
If you share these values, I hope you'll join our campaign. Whether that's through volunteering or donating $11 today (or $11 each month), you'll be helping us create a movement towards positive change at the Indiana Statehouse. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days
Fact #5: My Grandmother showed me what resilience looks like
My grandmother became a single mother when my grandfather died suddenly in the early 1950’s, leaving her to raise my mom on her own.
Through working at a book store and Social Security survivor benefits, she made sure my mom had opportunities that she never had. Through hard work, sacrifice, and determination, Grammy is the reason my mother became the first in her family to graduate from college.
Her story reminds me why economic security matters.
My Grammy lived to age 90, and she did everything our society told her to do. She worked hard, lived within her means, and saved for the future. Yet much of what she spent a lifetime building was eventually consumed by the cost of long-term care.
Today, the challenges are even greater. Indiana's minimum wage remains stuck at $7.25 an hour, making it difficult for working families to get ahead, save for emergencies, or build a secure retirement. My grandmother's resilience and determination shaped my belief that hard work should create opportunity—not just for one generation, but for the next—and that growing older shouldn't mean losing everything you've worked for.
If you share that vision, I'd be honored to have your support. Whether you volunteer, donate $11 once, or become a $11 monthly supporter, you'll help us build a grassroots movement for positive change at the Indiana Statehouse. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days
FACT #6: My Grandfather built the bridges that held Indiana together
My grandfather, Neil, was a civil engineer for the State of Indiana in the 1930s and ‘40s. His job was simple in concept, but massive in its impact:to build the bridges that connected our communities.
In those early years, every new bridge meant his family had to move almost every year. My dad and his sisters changed schools over and over again. My dad couldn’t even remember how many, but he thinks they moved eight times in 11 years around Indiana.
That changed when Indiana invested in better highways. My grandfather could finally stay in one place and drive to work instead of moving the whole family every time a new project started.
Their story sticks with me today because infrastructure isn’t just roads and bridges. Better infrastructure determines whether families can stay rooted when a parent’s job changes, whether kids can stay in the same school, and whether communities can grow without constant disruption.
We see those same challenges today as the infrastructure built in the 1930s and 1940s crumbles before our eyes. Indiana lawmakers must prioritize our infrastructure. That means not only roads and bridges but sewers, green energy, and high-speed internet that reaches every rural home.
That’s the kind of Indiana I want to help build—one where investment strengthens communities instead of uprooting them.
If this feels important to you, I’d be honored to have your support. Whether you volunteer, donate $11 once, or give $11 a month, you’ll help us build a grassroots movement for an Indiana where strong infrastructure strengthens families and communities. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days
Fact #7: What 12 years of bedtime stories taught me about Public Service
Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned about character, courage, and leadership didn’t come from a classroom or a boardroom—they came from the edge of my sons’ beds during our nightly reading ritual.
For more than 12 years, one of my favorite parts of being a parent was reading to my two sons every night.
Together, we explored magical worlds, followed unlikely heroes through hidden passageways at Hogwarts, across monster-filled quests with Percy Jackson, and into countless other adventures that left us all eager for “just one more chapter.” We read the Harry Potter series more times than I can count. We always celebrated when Harry found the courage to do the right thing, even when it wasn’t easy.
Those evenings gave our family more than a love of books. They taught us all about empathy, perseverance, curiosity, and the importance of standing up for others. Those conversations spilled beyond bedtime, strengthening our relationships and creating memories I’ll always treasure.
The values we live, the decisions we make, and the people we become matter.
As I run for office, those same lessons continue to guide me. I believe leadership requires empathy, the courage to do what is right even when it is difficult, and a commitment to serving others. The values reinforced through years of reading with my sons are the values I will bring to public service every day.
If you agree that empathy, perseverance, curiosity and standing up for others are important values, we’d love to have you as part of our campaign team. You can donate at https://secure.actblue.com/donate/11kin11days or volunteer to get involved at https://secure.ngpvan.com/p/9Nb1dBsDfUeuvDKgSOLs8Q2 . No matter your talents, strengths or interests, we’ll find a spot for you.