Heather graduated from Berea College in 2011 with a degree in sociology and worked part-time in the Appalachian Center since 2016. She is also a teaching artist, nature educator, and illustrator at Winterberry Studio where she connects people of all ages to nature through art. In 2023 she was named Artist of the Year by the Berea Arts Council and is very involved in the Berea Community by creating initiatives like the Berea Story Trail, Youth Market, and Woodland Playscape at the Pinnacles.