Age: 37
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Current residence: Philadelphia, Pa.
Occupation: Event planner
Favorite hobbies: Curating events, finding the best cocktails in the city, reading/writing
3 words to describe you: Confident, casual, self-aware
Pet peeve(s): Really bad customer service. Pushy sales people.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Winning the United States Chess Open (largest chess tournament in the USA) for my rating bracket when I was 12. You are playing against grown people, and I won $1,200. That was like $100,000 to me at the time! It gave me the confidence that I could do almost anything.
What is something we would never know from looking at you? I grew up in the church. I was an usher and sang in the choir from age 6 to 17. My dad was a deacon and my mom was a deaconess. I have a deep faith but it is my own faith. I don't talk about it a lot but I am a big believer.
Who is your hero and why? My mom. She overcame a lot to raise me and give me the foundation to be the person that I am today. She made sure I was raised in a safe house, made sure I went to church to develop a moral compass, took me to black history workshops as a child so I had a sense of self worth. She made sure I got into the best public school in the city, then made sure I could travel the country as a middle schooler playing chess. She passed away five years ago, and as I grow older, I grow to admire her more each day.
Which past Survivor will you play the game most like? Sandra's "anyone but me" will always be my strategy, as long as I see a path to the end and I am with people, or have people, in which I trust. If I don't have that, I will be an agent of chaos Russell with charm. I am playing to win and not for 7th place.
Why do you believe you can be the Sole Survivor? I thrive, and find a certain comfort, in chaos. Managing events at a club on a Friday night anything can happen, but whatever issues pop up you have to handle. That takes interpersonal skills if it is dealing with people, and it takes general problem-solving skills when dealing with a venue, and you still have to make sure everyone at your party has a great time.
