More about Me …

I love all thing spicy: food, dance, movie, people!

My name is L. Elizabeth, but most people now-a-days just call me Liz. I am excited about sharing my travels with you! I hope this is a space for fun, finding personal freedom, and reflection about how to move in a kinder way through this world. As I start this I am on the brink of my first international trip, in what I hope will be nearly two years of travel around the world to learn and study gender, age, and carceral systems. Of course I am always down to go dancing, hiking, or get lost so I have no idea what will end up being up here.

My first stop is Stockholm, Sweden to complete the last semester of my Bachelors degree through the DIS: Study abroad in Scandinavia.

I was born in Salem MA, and have lived in multiple states throughout the United States, but my home base is currently in the greater Seattle area of Washington, USA. Where I attend the University of Puget Sound.

I champion equal access to education and healthcare, as well as juvenile and elder justice system reform. I love to cook, dance, write poetry, laugh, meet new people and take long walks with her aunt’s dog, Sunshine. This is my FIRST blog!

I currently hold the following degrees:

Associate of Arts (Tacoma Community College)

Associate of Business (Tacoma Community College)

Associate of Education (Piedmont Virginia Community College)

Almost there 1 semester left!! — Bachelor’s of Religion and Bioethics

I have the following vocational certificates:

E-RYT yoga instruction

Graphic Design and Print Technologies

Building Maintenance and Repair

Business Software

Literary Braille Transcription (Library of Congress)

I am passionate about improving conditions in liminal spaces, specifically for the ageing and health-affected women. To this end I founded and continue to co-lead the HOPE Team, a partnership for community-based healthcare within the Washington Correctional Center for Woman (2021-present).

I co-founded Stop Drop and Yoga (2018), yoga randomly in random places; as well as The Voice Project, which was an intensive peer-reviewed writing workshop and acting program (2009) Both of these were in the Virginia Correctional Center for Women.

Additionally, I helped set up and acted as the first public relations secretary for Beta Psi Nu, a chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the Washington Correction Center for Women (WCCW).

I have spent 15+ years as a volunteer tutor of English, mathematics, and music.

I was working for the Washington School for the Blind and as the senior library aide at the University of Puget Sound’s Collins Library. I JUST gave my notice at both jobs so I HOPE this trip works out!!

I was recently nominated for the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. (We will know in March — fingers crossed!!)

I am a member of:

the National Braille Association (NBA)

the Incarcerated Children’s Advocacy Network (ICAN)

the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY)

Heart 2 Heart (H2H).

I am an alumnus of:

the Sunshine Lady Foundation

The IF Project

the Freedom Education Puget Sound Project (FEPPs)