I was raised for most of my life in Ephraim. Throughout my life, I have spent most of my life out of doors enjoying the world around me. I have always been curious about how the natural world works. After graduating from high school I attended Snow College. My goal was to become a medical doctor. After graduating from Snow College I attended Utah State University where I majored in Biology. While at USU I realized I did not really want to become a medical doctor. I worked at the Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory and decided I would like to become an Ecologist. After attending USU I obtained a MS and PhD from Brigham Young University. My research was in plant physiology and ecology. After graduating I have taught at Snow College, ran my own ecological consulting firm and worked for many state and federal agencies as an ecologist.