Em was born & raised in a small, rural community in Pierce County and started their career as a caseworker in the state of Utah, primarily working with survivors of domestic violence and their families, before eventually moving back to Washington and continued their career as a social worker in various roles. They saw firsthand, from both her own upbringing and from her clients, how the system was designed to perpetuate cycles and work against those most marginalized. Em spent 3 years working at the state legislature as a legislative assistant and is currently a trainer with the Criminal Justice Training Commission working with officers who respond to survivors of gender-based violence. Em has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington. Em identifies as a mixed race (white passing) Latinx, queer person who uses she/they pronouns.