I was born in Portugal, and came to the United States when I was two. I moved to San Leandro and then to San Ramon. I graduated from California High School. After high school, I went into the dental field where I worked for a large dental practice in Hayward and Tracy from 1977 to 1997. I also ran my father’s painting business. My husband and I then opened up our own painting business that I managed for the past 20 years. In 2000, I also worked for a property management company, which I left in 2003 to join the All Saints family.