KJ’s early life was spent between New Buffalo, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. She went to Chicago High School for the Arts, graduating in 2018, and then briefly attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Left jaded by the world of fine art, she decided to take a break from studio art. She worked full time in electronics assembly for a few years before discovering Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute in 2024 and attending their nine-month furniture program. There, she found a community of instructors and students who inspired her, and her drive for creating was reignited.