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Education:
Doctor of Education - University of the Pacific - December 2022 Master of Arts - Curriculum & Instruction - University of Colorado - May 2014 Bachelor of Arts - Social Science - San Diego State University - May 2008 Licensures: Reading and Literacy Leadership Specialist Secondary English Secondary Social Studies English Learner Authorization Memberships: International Literacy Association |
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When I was sixteen years old, my life turned upside down. My mom moved my two brothers and me into a domestic abuse shelter. I had to leave everything I knew behind, suddenly having to change high schools and make new friends. After the shelter, we moved around a lot. I attended a total of three different high schools in three different cities. This was a lonely and scary time for me, and I found myself at a crossroads. Down one path, I saw a future similar to my mother’s; opportunities limited by a lack of education. It was then I realized my only way off that path was to excel in my studies. Education served as a beacon of hope for a boundless future; as a result, I decided that I would succeed no matter what happened. Consequently, I am the first person in my family to graduate from college.
Thinking back, I always seemed to have had a knack for breaking down big concepts and explaining things to people so that they could understand. I remember the joy and personal satisfaction I felt tutoring elementary students and mentoring campers at a sleep-away camp. I have seen firsthand how influential a teacher can be. After all, it was a middle school teacher who believed in my writing and told me I had real talent that fueled my desire to write and to give back to my community as a teacher. I have come to realize that teaching to the whole child needs to be at the center of everything we do as educators.
Thinking back, I always seemed to have had a knack for breaking down big concepts and explaining things to people so that they could understand. I remember the joy and personal satisfaction I felt tutoring elementary students and mentoring campers at a sleep-away camp. I have seen firsthand how influential a teacher can be. After all, it was a middle school teacher who believed in my writing and told me I had real talent that fueled my desire to write and to give back to my community as a teacher. I have come to realize that teaching to the whole child needs to be at the center of everything we do as educators.