Early Exposure to Puppetry

When I was a toddler, my father built an elaborate wooden puppet stage. He brought it to life with stories performed for me, my brother, and our friends. Family legend says I swallowed more than a few wood chips from his workshop, but what truly took root was less tangible: the wonder of puppets and their power to teach and spark imagination. That early spark grew into a lifelong devotion to puppetry.

As a university student, I returned to puppetry and discovered its deeper potential: its capacity to give form to what is difficult to say directly, to educate, and to invite care. Over time, I connected this practice to my education in public health, creating programs supported by four grants that used puppetry to address bullying and sexual abuse prevention in the U.S. and abroad.

Some of those puppets now live in this portfolio, carrying forward my belief that puppetry can create empathy, dialogue, and change.