Em. was born and raised in Hilvarenbeek in The Netherlands but moved to Texas as soon as she could.  She attended Tarleton State University and graduated summa cum laude with her Bachelor of Science degrees in animal biology and chemistry.  She then was accepted into medical school at Texas A&M's College of Medicine.  There she was a patient advocate in both health circus and the student-run free clinic.  She was also one of the class officers.  After graduation, she decided it was time for a change of scenery, so she moved to Missouri and joined the Med/Peds program.