As the first-born child, Jessie was the first person in her immediate family to graduate from college, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in just three years. Jessie has always had a deep passion for writing, from short fiction stories (which she illustrated herself) as a child to research and persuasive papers in high school and her thesis in college. As a Type-A, driven person, she has always looked for ways to excel, which became difficult once she finished school and had no clear guidelines for life on the other side of her cap and gown. Her first book, Ready, Set…Now What? is the product of her search for identity, passion, and purpose after graduation. Jessie is living proof that purpose and meaning can be found in both the big and little things in life, and that they don’t always have to fit within the context of a nine-to-five job. She is a program manager for the maintenance side of a display fixture company by day, but she doesn’t let that define her. She finds her purpose in using her gifts to love and serve those around her—through service, relationships, and through her writing. She is a firm believer in grace, fitness, community, nutrition, simpler living, books, sunshine, kindness, creativity, living life with her people, and pursuing a full life in Christ. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a degree in Communication, where she honed her skills and began to see how life is about more than just what you do for a living. She lives in the suburbs of Minneapolis, MN with her sister, where they enjoy decorating their new-to-them home and doing little house projects. She’s also involved with the hospitality ministry and a community group with Clarity Church, a local start-up church that captured her heart. When she’s not writing, you can find her cooking up some new recipes in the kitchen (inevitably making a huge mess), watching a show on Netflix (lazy Sundays, anyone?), hanging out with her friends or family (they're the best!), or curled up on the couch with a mug of tea (yum!) and a big book (the best way to unwind, hands down). She regularly writes about grace, identity, love, purpose, growth, and life over on her blog at http://notesfromjessie.com. Ready, Set…Now What? is her first book, but she plans to write more!