What’s your most memorable Halloween experience?

My favorite Halloween memories aren’t about one costume or one night. They’re the feeling of becoming something completely different for a little while. I’ve always loved the creativity, the darker beauty, the folklore, and the freedom Halloween gives people to embrace the strange and magical parts of themselves. For me, Halloween has never been about pretending to be someone else. It’s about letting parts of yourself out that the rest of the year asks you to hide.

Tell us why you would make it to the end of a horror movie.

I grew up in the mountains. I know better than to follow strange noises into the woods, read mysterious Latin out loud, or split up the group. I’m observant, stubborn, resourceful, and when something feels wrong, I trust my gut. While everyone else is investigating the creepy basement, I’m already outside with the keys. Final Girl energy.

What would you do with the unlucky $13,000?

I’d use it to build a little more stability in my life while putting some toward the things that make me happiest: creating art, traveling, and making memories with the people I love. And because it’s $13,000, obviously at least a tiny piece of it has to fund something wonderfully spooky. You can’t give a Halloween girl $13K and expect completely responsible behavior.

Who is your real-life hero who you would want to survive a horror movie with?

My mom. If I’m getting chased through the woods by something supernatural, I want the woman who raised me beside me. Between the two of us, we’d either survive the movie or become the reason the sequel needs a completely new villain.