I grew up in the border town of Eagle Pass, Tx. My Mom loved plants and her passion for them inspired me. After graduating from Eagle Pass High School in 1992, I moved away to go to school at A&M Kingsville. There, I took on a job as a gardener/greenhouse helper, assisting Dr. Peter Felker graft hundreds of mesquite trees. I loved that job! Then, my life shifted trajectories. I joined the U.S. Navy, and received orders for Japan, where I remained for three years. While stationed in that country, my ship, the USS Thach, took me to countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, the Philippine Islands and even Australia. I couldn't have asked for a better Navy home base. Four years later, I was back in America, I moved to San Antonio, Tx. and continued my schooling. After graduating from Our Lady of the Lake Universary, I attended my first Alamo Orchid Society (AOS) Orchid Show in 2013. I loved it. So, I joined the Society and became a very active member. Ultimately, I was elected AOS President in 2017 and again in 2018. I also became Curator of the San Antonio Botanical Gardens orchid greenhouse during that time. But in 2020, I received a shock! The new AOS Board of Directors expelled me from the Society. How and why that happened is the subject of my book.