Growing up in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, I have wonderful memories of time spent in the garden with my parents who harvested and preserved their own fruits and vegetables. We also kept beehives and harvested honey for ourselves and to trade for meat and eggs with others in the community.

My early experience with herbal healing came as a result of my parents’ skepticism with western medications. They preferred remedies they could find around the property treating colds, flu, and infections with herbal teas, plant- and honey-based poultices and other herbal-based treatments.

Because herbalism was not a viable educational option in Germany, I chose an education in Physics where graduate school brought me to the US, studying Space Physics at the University of Alaska. This led to a job opportunity in Silicon Valley in 2012, and my husband and I choose to reside in the beautiful community of Santa Cruz. While going through some minor health issues I searched for alternative medicine and landed on the homepage of Darren Huckle, who was offering classes with British Herbalist Paula Grainger. These two amazing teachers introduced me to the magical world of herbs and I knew immediately that I wanted to educate myself further. The East West School of Planetary Herbology was based right at my backdoor in the Santa Cruz area, and I’ve never enjoyed an educational experience more than I have here.

East West has enlightened my life and my view of health and well being. Though I now live back in the great wide state of Alaska, I feel privileged that I had the opportunity to learn so much through the personal interactions and seminars which I was able to attend in person while living in the Santa Cruz area. When I am not studying herbs and making herbal products I enjoy my other work as a personal trainer and I spend time practicing martial arts, hiking with my dogs, fishing, and enjoying the myriad outdoor activities that Alaska has to offer.