Graduated from the Baltimore School for the Arts in 1993. Hosted a premiere of Rent in Baltimore as a benefit for the school in November 2005.

Like the other seven lead characters, her character in Rent (2005), Joanne, is based on a character from La Boheme. Hers was based on Alcindoro, a counselor of state. Hers is the only character whose predecessor was the opposite gender, a change made by Jonathan Larson to make reference to his own ex-girlfriend leaving him for another woman.

Has stated publicly that she saw the original Broadway cast in the stage production of Rent and their performances inspired her to audition several times for the show (all unsuccessful). She finally had her opportunity to join the cast in 2005 when she became one of two "new" principal actors to join most of the original Broadway cast in the feature film version.

Graduated from Howard University with a bachelor's in fine arts.

Has remained extremely close friends with her past co-stars Rosario Dawson, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, and Adrienne Wilkinson.

Graduated from Juilliard, where she was classmates with "Wonderfalls" (2004) co-star Lee Pace.