While Ali lived abroad in China, she joined the Shenzhen University fencing team and traveled the country attending various collegiate tournaments. Being a foreigner on a Chinese fencing team was a unique experience, so she began contributing to a series for American Fencing Magazine called "Postcards from the Strip." She also founded and coached the Osprey Fencing Club at the University of North Florida where she generated an enthusiasm for the quirky sport among the university's student base. She is well versed in all three traditional weapons and is a supporter of the emerging realm of dagger fencing.

In college, Ali found her niche in the world of history and began working for EcoMotion tours, a company offering Segway tours in Florida parks that focus on local history and wildlife. She quickly became a lead guide due to her ability to produce engaging and historically accurate, non-scripted tours. She firmly believes that Florida's real history is far more compelling than the often embellished stories offered by many tour companies in the area. While working in the Florida park system, Ali decided to further her knowledge of local wildlife, and she became a certified Florida naturalist. She assisted the park service and EcoMotion tours in developing audio tours and various wildlife brochures geared towards park patrons.

Additionally, Ali has two years of experience in the mortgage industry working for Atlantic Coast Bank, with a focus on warehouse lending. She has an extensive knowledge of current real estate and mortgage trends and enjoys working in this ever-changing environment. Her knack for analyzing and understanding statistical data provided her with the responsibility for generating readable reports on the industry for the bank's mortgage newsletter. She was also responsible for producing extensive training manuals for her department and for reviewing and editing professional correspondence.