Before a big acting competition, my dad sent me a note that said, 'Define the moment. Don't let the moment define you.'

In the deaf community, in order to play a role of someone with a hearing loss... you have to have hearing loss.

I was born in San Antonio, TX, but moved to Lakewood, CO in elementary school. Then, I moved to Valley Center, CA in high school.

The iPad was my first splurge after I got my first paychecks. I paid off the debt, and I now bring the iPad with me to auditions.

I have a condition called Menieres disease which is a problem with fluid retention in the inner ear. It has four symptoms: ringing in the ear, pressure in the ear, fluctuating hearing loss, and attacks of vertigo.

My junior year, I was in a play at school and five days before opening night, I still didn't know my lines. Opening night was a disaster. I was so embarrassed. The director made me work backstage for the rest of the performance.

I got my first job when I moved to Los Angeles. I worked at a coffee shop for five years and it was one of the best experiences I ever had. It was a bunch of actors covering shifts for each other and becoming great friends.