My love for building started at my grandfather’s workbench. He was the one who taught me how to measure twice, cut once, and pay attention to the grain of the wood. In those quiet hours surrounded by the smell of sawdust and old tools, I learned something deeper than technique — I learned to love the act of making. Craftsmanship became my language long before I knew how to put it into words.

That language naturally led me to the theater. I spent years in professional scene shops and backstage spaces, designing, building, and bringing scripts to life in three dimensions. Each set was a new story to shape — lumber and light becoming worlds. Whether I was fabricating intricate details for regional productions, raising massive outdoor sets under open skies, or solving impossible problems in late-night tech rehearsals, I learned that storytelling is built: it’s carved, painted, welded, and lit into existence.

After years on the professional stage, I carried that craft into education. For more than twenty years, I taught students how to imagine boldly and build bravely. My classroom was a workshop of possibility. I handed them tools, invited them into the process, and watched their eyes widen as blank stages transformed. I led programs, earned leadership awards, and mentored hundreds of young artists and technicians. But the real legacy was in the shared work — the moment when a student would step back, look at what we built together, and whisper, “We made this.”

My design philosophy deepened during my first master’s program, where I explored how full sensory experiences — light, sound, texture, scent, and spatial storytelling — can reach people on a visceral level. Long before “immersive” was a buzzword, I was researching how to make stories not just seen, but felt. That research became the foundation for my work as a Technical Director, Scenic Designer, and Immersive Experience Creator.

I’ve helped raise a 100-foot proscenium for Jesus Christ Superstar at Pinewood Bowl in front of 3,000 people a night. I’ve laser-cut stained glass to bring Sun Records Studio to life for Million Dollar Quartet. I’ve carved a ship through the center of an audience for Peter and the Starcatcher, pulling people directly into the journey.

Today, through OneEye Creation, I bring large-scale scenic and technical projects to life; through OuterRim Creatives, I craft armor and props that allow people to step fully into the stories they love. Two sides of the same creative heartbeat: to make storytelling tangible.

I’m currently completing my Master of Professional Studies in the Business of Art and Design at the Maryland Institute College of Art, merging strategic leadership with artistic vision. This chapter is about scale — building teams, leading immersive experiences, and carrying the craft forward into new worlds.

From my grandfather’s workbench to professional theaters, from classrooms to immersive stages, one truth has stayed constant: storytelling is at the center of everything I design and build. It’s what turns lumber, paint, and steel into something unforgettable. It’s what connects people. It’s the through-line of my life — and the story I’m still building.