I was born in New Rochelle, New York, and graduated from University of Connecticut in 1978 with Bachelor of Science degrees in both electrical engineering and computer science. After graduating, I became a semiconductor design engineer at IBM at their offices near Burlington, Vermont.

When I moved to Vermont I decided I wanted to train more deeply in the martial arts. I had taken some Shotokan classes, as well as karate and Kung Fu but had never had a chance to dive deeply into martial arts. I wanted to improve my physical and mental capabilities, and to increase my confidence.  I knew that training in the martial arts could do all that and more. I just needed to find the right school.

While interviewing to train with different martial art schools, I discovered a high-ranking Tae Kwon Do martial arts Master, Tae Yun Kim, the founder of what is now Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions. I began studying and training under her. When I started studying I was out of shape, didn’t know how to take care of myself, and didn’t have any energy or focus.