I have always been passionate about two things:
how people learn and how they seek to belong.
I AM A PARENT, educator, researcher, and collaborative consultant
Growing up, I took every opportunity I could to care for, work with, and learn about kids: before I was old enough to obtain a driver’s license, I assisted in a preschool, kicked off my formal study in child development, and ran a lucrative babysitting business.
After earning my BA in Psychology and Education, I became a teacher and school counselor. I then pursued an M.Ed in school counseling and my doctorate in special education while training and mentoring teachers on practical, evidence-based tools to nurture kids’ educational and emotional well-being.
Over years of practice and research, I identified particular approaches and strategies that best serve kids and improve the systems they move through. These best practices are trauma-informed, learner-centered, and consistently impactful.
After spending years in education, I began to be invited into agencies and organizations looking to be more inclusive and trauma-informed. Since then, my work has taken various forms: from creating curriculum to improve prison education to consulting with agencies on program design and evaluation to delivering training and consulting services in diversity, equity, and inclusion.
I am a systems thinker, problem solver, and collaborative ally.
I’ve been an administrator in higher education and have developed graduate programs for teachers. I regularly provide professional development and mentoring for clinicians and educators in schools, government agencies, and non-profits. I evaluate programs that serve youth in the margins. I also offer consultation and training for caregivers. AND, most fun of all, I still work directly with kids!
My own experience — which you can read about in my book Immaculate Misconception — connects me with people who feel like outsiders in systems that don’t honor diversity.
training and education
PhD, Special Education | UMass Amherst, 2016
MEd, School Counseling | UMass Amherst, 2015
MA, Sport Management | Ohio State University, 2005
BA, Psychology and Education | Mount Holyoke College 2004