I aspire to be a person who knows that I do not know the answers, but will work to figure out the questions. A person who has lived a life that has been focused on helping others become the best that they can be while finally having the courage to live my life openly, and authentically, seeking balance and peace while allowing my experiences to be a tool for growth and enjoy the life I have with my kids, my friends and family.

Why I love my job:

The ability to provided others with the tools to share their voice and see that they can be an agent of change and still be themselves is transformational for my own life. Allowing each person to grow, change and become a force in their own journey brings me joy, happiness and pushes me to continue to give back to my community.

My connection to public schools:

I worked in public education for 30 years. I spent the first part of my career working in alternative education providing the most vulnerable students an opportunity to find their own strengths and feel valued and a part of their community. I then spent several years in administration at the high school and middle school levels and learned the political side of education and how working collaboratively to move transformation forward was more than just one person, but a collection of individuals that wanted the best for students, but not necessarily the same process. The bulk of my career was working with high school students at an inner city school as a social studies and English as a second language teacher and advisor for multiple student organizations. My philosophy throughout my education career and life comes from Socrates, who said, "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."

What I’m bad at:

I am bad at trying to give myself space and time to just live life and let life pass without thinking I have to be busy. I spent years raising kids, working way too much and trying to live a life that did not fit who I was internally and now I live a life that gives me solace, community and time to pause and reflect on what I need, want and desire. But, I still find myself thinking I should be doing something more.

The image that represents why I work at 50CAN:

I am at a place in life that life is finding my own happiness and with that ability I can give others the support and encouragement to become a voice for change and allow ourselves to continue to grow and learn from each other and make the world a better place for kids to grow into their future.