She holds a J.D. from Georgetown University and an M.B.A. from University of South Carolina. She has worked with a number of nonprofit organizations in governance, communications and fundraising. Her involvement in community affairs has included serving on the Institutional Review Board of Children’s National Medical Center, serving as a court-appointed special advocate for abused children with CASA Fairfax, and volunteering with the Nyumbani Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. In addition, she has furthered her knowledge of education issues by serving on the parent boards of several public and private schools. She also serves as a volunteer teacher in an English as a second language program for recent immigrants to the U.S.