Iliana was born and raised in Sewanee, Tennessee, and homeschooled, along with her siblings, on her parent’s farm before attending St. Andrew’s Sewanee School for high school. 

Iliana has spent the last few years traveling the country, in an attempt to further her own education. She has spent time at the John C. Campbell Folk School, Sequatchie Cove Farm, Uplands Cheese Creamery, and most recently, completed a stint on a prescribed burn crew for the Southeast Conservation Corps. 

While the nomadic lifestyle has treated her well, Iliana is ready to begin working towards her true passion of alternative education. Iliana is excited to share her love for traditional crafts, such as basketry, spinning, weaving, and cooking with foraged foods, and hopes that through these practices, she can help young people develop a closer relationship with the natural world and a deeper understanding of their place within it.