My Story
Me and my son, Matt (© Copyright 2023 Art by Roxanne)
Authenticity
Radical Acceptance
Courageous Love
Although I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, I have lived across the country as an adult: Los Angeles (where I learned that it can be 70 degrees in February), Honolulu (where I learned how to weed a taro field), and Norfolk (where I learned that pollen can look like yellow snow). I’ve been happy to call Dayton home as Miami Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship's (MVUUF’s) minister since July 2018.
Raised Roman Catholic, I didn’t realize I could choose my own religion until my teen and young adult years. During this time, I explored alternatives from Robert Heinlein’s science fiction novel Job: A Comedy of Justice to the Willow Creek megachurch to the Bahá’i faith. Ultimately, my spiritual and religious exploration brought me to Unitarian Universalism. I have been an enthusiastic UU since 2001.
Coming from a working-class family, I am a first-generation college student, the only person in my family who was able to attend college. I began my undergraduate degree as an aspiring theatre major at Northwestern University in 1989. Three universities and three majors later, I completed my Bachelor of English from the University of Maryland in May 2012 at the age of 41. Along the way, I built a career in sales management and recruiting in the staffing industry.
Unitarian Universalist Ministry
Once I decided to accept my call to ministry, I became the director of faith development at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago. I began my Master of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School the following year. During my second year of study, I transferred into the dual degree program and completed a 2-year hospital chaplain residency as part of my Master of Arts in Leadership Studies.
For the final portion of my ministry preparation, I completed a 2-year congregational internship at Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Oak Park, IL. In December 2017, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) granted me preliminary ministerial fellowship. In May 2018, I graduated with a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies. In June 2018, MVUUF called me as their minister and Unity Temple ordained me into the Unitarian Universalist ministry. In May 2025, the UUA granted me full ministerial fellowship. Hip, hip, HOORAY!!!
I consider social justice an important part of my ministry and describe myself as an antiracist socialist feminist. I was the steering committee chair of UU Class Conversations for 3 years, an organization that seeks to make Unitarian Universalism more class-inclusive. I was also a UU Justice Ohio board member for 3 years. Currently, I am the vice-president of the Interfaith Forum of Greater Dayton, a leader of the annual Dayton Interfaith Pride Service, and a volunteer counselor for Faith Choice Ohio, supporting all people seeking safe abortions. I also am a suicide-attempt survivor and mental illness advocate. I am dedicated to creating a world where every human being can thrive, no exceptions.
In my work and in my life, my core values are authenticity, radical acceptance, and courageous love. Shame and fear isolate many of us, separating us from one another, ourselves, and the Holy. As civil rights activist and attorney Bryan Stevenson says, "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done." We are more than our mistakes-- more than our weaknesses--more than our diagnoses. We are held by a Love that will not let us go.
If you would like to watch me in action at my congregation, video recordings of my last year of worship services are HERE and audio podcasts of my entire MVUUF ministry are HERE.
On the Personal Side
I use she/her pronouns. I am a third-generation single mom and live with my kitty, Soup, and my son, Matt, who is now a college student. I am thrilled to be a late-blooming bisexual/pansexual (I can finally exclaim “I’m here and I’m queer!"). I am blissful to continue learning about Love with my partner, Becky (see us below at our first Pride celebration together). Last but not least, I’m grateful to have my mom as my role model (see us below). In my free time, I love to walk under bright blue skies, practice mindfulness, sing off-key, pretend I am part of flash-mob dances, act/improv, read audiobooks, laugh loudly (and often hoot), listen with my heart, and TALK A LOT.
Raised Roman Catholic, I didn’t realize I could choose my own religion until my teen and young adult years. During this time, I explored alternatives from Robert Heinlein’s science fiction novel Job: A Comedy of Justice to the Willow Creek megachurch to the Bahá’i faith. Ultimately, my spiritual and religious exploration brought me to Unitarian Universalism. I have been an enthusiastic UU since 2001.
Coming from a working-class family, I am a first-generation college student, the only person in my family who was able to attend college. I began my undergraduate degree as an aspiring theatre major at Northwestern University in 1989. Three universities and three majors later, I completed my Bachelor of English from the University of Maryland in May 2012 at the age of 41. Along the way, I built a career in sales management and recruiting in the staffing industry.
Unitarian Universalist Ministry
Once I decided to accept my call to ministry, I became the director of faith development at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago. I began my Master of Divinity degree at Meadville Lombard Theological School the following year. During my second year of study, I transferred into the dual degree program and completed a 2-year hospital chaplain residency as part of my Master of Arts in Leadership Studies.
For the final portion of my ministry preparation, I completed a 2-year congregational internship at Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Oak Park, IL. In December 2017, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) granted me preliminary ministerial fellowship. In May 2018, I graduated with a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Leadership Studies. In June 2018, MVUUF called me as their minister and Unity Temple ordained me into the Unitarian Universalist ministry. In May 2025, the UUA granted me full ministerial fellowship. Hip, hip, HOORAY!!!
I consider social justice an important part of my ministry and describe myself as an antiracist socialist feminist. I was the steering committee chair of UU Class Conversations for 3 years, an organization that seeks to make Unitarian Universalism more class-inclusive. I was also a UU Justice Ohio board member for 3 years. Currently, I am the vice-president of the Interfaith Forum of Greater Dayton, a leader of the annual Dayton Interfaith Pride Service, and a volunteer counselor for Faith Choice Ohio, supporting all people seeking safe abortions. I also am a suicide-attempt survivor and mental illness advocate. I am dedicated to creating a world where every human being can thrive, no exceptions.
In my work and in my life, my core values are authenticity, radical acceptance, and courageous love. Shame and fear isolate many of us, separating us from one another, ourselves, and the Holy. As civil rights activist and attorney Bryan Stevenson says, "Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done." We are more than our mistakes-- more than our weaknesses--more than our diagnoses. We are held by a Love that will not let us go.
If you would like to watch me in action at my congregation, video recordings of my last year of worship services are HERE and audio podcasts of my entire MVUUF ministry are HERE.
On the Personal Side
I use she/her pronouns. I am a third-generation single mom and live with my kitty, Soup, and my son, Matt, who is now a college student. I am thrilled to be a late-blooming bisexual/pansexual (I can finally exclaim “I’m here and I’m queer!"). I am blissful to continue learning about Love with my partner, Becky (see us below at our first Pride celebration together). Last but not least, I’m grateful to have my mom as my role model (see us below). In my free time, I love to walk under bright blue skies, practice mindfulness, sing off-key, pretend I am part of flash-mob dances, act/improv, read audiobooks, laugh loudly (and often hoot), listen with my heart, and TALK A LOT.
Me and Becky at Dayton Pride 2025
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Me and Mom at one of our plays in 2025
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Why a Dragonfly?
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I selected the dragonfly theme because it is about transformation. The dragonfly lives the majority of her life as a wingless nymph--living underwater, exploring the water depths. Then one day, she emerges from the water and begins to breathe air. She finds a safe place near the water to rest and complete her final molting, which brings the arrival of her miraculous wings. As an adult dragonfly, she is absolutely amazing-- she can fly backwards, change direction mid-air, and hover for up to a minute. I think of my life before seminary and my years of ministerial formation as exploring the water depths as a nymph. Now, in the later part of my life, I have emerged from the water, breathing air and attempting the impossible with my wings.
