What is your background / what do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?

I was born and raised in Victoria. I've worked as a hairdresser, cashier at A&B Sound, a preschool teacher, and now I'm the fleet lead for the provincial government. My dad was a photographer when I was a kid so I got into photo preservation and scrapbooking when I had my son. As scrapbooking moved to digital I've really enjoyed being able to add my own creativity to it. My main hobby now is usually working on our costumes, because you are never finished and there are always so many more to make 🙂

When did you see Star Wars for the first time and where?

My first memory of watching Star Wars was seeing the Empire Strikes Back at a drive in theatre in Courtenay while we were on summer vacation. As a kid I was in love with the Rebels, but as my tastes matured, I fell in love with the Stormtroopers. Their white armour is so impressive and I still get goose bumps when I see them, even though I know who's inside them now.

What is your favourite Star Wars movie?

That's like asking which kid is your favourite. I love them all, but there is the nostalgia of the original that will always be there; seeing Luke, Han, Chewie and Leia on screen in their first scenes will always bring me back to being a kid again.

What is your favourite costume and or prop (any franchise)?

Original trilogy (OT)  Stormtrooper by far my favourite to look at and collect, but lightsabers are so fun to play with!

What costumes (SW related or otherwise) have you made before?

Growing up I was very lucky because my parents were both very creative and loved to dress up for Halloween and other special occasions. All of our costumes were handmade so I've enjoyed putting costumes together since I was little. My husband (who is also in the 501st) isn't really into costumes, but he lets me build him stuff, and even wears it occasionally. Since joining the Legion I've made myself a Stormtrooper, Juno Eclipse, Officer, Reserve Tie Pilot, and Commander Iden Versio from Battlefront 2, which is my favorite to wear right now. I've also made costumes for my kids. My eldest is in the Legion now and has a Stormtrooper, Tie Pilot and a Rebel Legion Chewbacca. My middle son is 13 and isn't much into costuming (like his dad), but he has a Reserve Tie Pilot that he wears occasionally with us. My youngest is 5 and loves to troop with us too. She has a Reserve Tie Pilot, a Jedi, and a Jakku Rey costume. I'm working on putting a Han Solo costume together for my father next so he can troop with his grandson as Chewie. That day will be so amazing when it finally comes! Then maybe I can get my mom a General Leia costume too, and I'm also working on a Jawa for my youngest.

What inspires you creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Family for sure, both my husband and I have fairly big families and we are all very close.

How did you first find out about the 501st Legion?

I think the first time I saw them was at a Buccaneer Day parade in Esquimalt about 15 years ago. There were only 1 or 2 members back then in Victoria, but it was still so cool to see a real Stormtrooper walking down our streets. At the time it never really occurred to me that I could ever join, but after seeing them a few more times over the years it struck me that I needed to do this.

What drives you to stay trooping in the 501st Legion?

I always wanted to do something for the great charities we have out there, but I couldn't get out of my comfort zone to do it. Now I get to help in a great way and feel like celebrity every time I put my costume on. Seeing kids and adults light up when they see us makes it worth every minute and I wish I had joined years ago!