She was has lived in Delaware County for most of her life, graduating from Archbishop Carroll High School. While a student there, she had her first experience serving the community; tutoring children in reading at the Millcreek Community Center in West Philadelphia. While an undergraduate at Princeton University, she volunteered at the New Jersey Neuro-Psychaitric Institiute with the least verbal population, and found tremendous joy sharing time with those who had few visitors. After graduating, she served for one year at the Corrymeela Community, the oldest peace and reconciliation organization in Northern Ireland (where she was extremely fortunate to meet her husband of 33 years, Gerry Murray.)