Ashley grew up in the north suburbs of Chicago but has lived in Michigan for the past eight years. Most recently, she was the program manager and data collector for a project entitled “Social Interactions of Labor and Delivery” in Accra, Ghana. Ashley is also a graduate of the department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of Michigan where she received a Master of Public Health and a certificate in global health. Her master's coursework focused on women's health, particularly sexual and reproductive health. She is especially interested in access to healthcare by vulnerable or disadvantaged populations. Her background includes bachelor's degrees in nursing, comparative cultures and politics, and Spanish from Michigan State University. In addition to public health, she is interested in language and culture.