Born in Fresno, California, to a large Armenian family, she was one of the ten top finalists in California Junior Miss, and after high school, attended University of Hawaii where she studied theatre. Before graduating from California State University Long Beach, she was promotions director of the on site FCC regulated radio station KSUL where she booked talent for the campus. She has worked as Vice President of Casting at New Line Cinema for 6 years and before that, worked as Director of Casting at Universal Studios for 8. She taught drama to inner-city children for three and a half years and while a casting executive at Universal Studios, she produced shows twice a year for the industry.