I have been living in Colorado for more than 30 years after emigrating from St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1980, and I still speak Russian fluently. I graduated from the Metropolitan State College of Denver in 1997. While there, I majored in journalism and minored in political science. I attended law school immediately after college, and I graduated from the University of Denver in 2000. Because I have a passion for education and consider myself a lifelong learner, I also picked up a Master’s of Humanities, with an emphasis in philosophy, from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2010.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, I spent several years working as a teacher, focusing on at-risk youth. For several years, I was a teacher at the Lookout Mountain Youth Services Center, a juvenile prison, and I’ve worked as a teacher with homeless youth, as well. During my time teaching, I also taught courses in criminal justice and political science at the college level.

I decided to transition from education into law because I still want to help people with problems they may have, but I would rather do so on an individual basis rather than in a group setting. I also love the intellectual challenges and intricacies that law constantly presents.

In my free time, I love to play guitar, read and enjoy the beautiful Colorado wilderness. I’m also an avid traveler who has visited 30 countries.