I’ve always had the ability to understand kids' needs and interpret them to a world that just doesn't understand them.

My own experience — which you can read about in my book Immaculate Misconception — naturally connects me with young people who feel inevitably disenfranchised by systems that don’t honor diversity.

In a world that doesn’t always understand kids, how can caregivers and educators help them thrive?

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, kicking off my formal study in childhood education, and running a lucrative babysitting business.

After earning my BA in Psychology and Education, I became a teacher and school counselor with a focus on special education. I went on to pursue my doctorate in special education while training and mentoring teachers on practical, evidence-based tools to help kids succeed.

As I began supervising and mentoring new teachers, I could see that there were particular approaches and strategies that best served kids and improved the systems they moved through. These best practices are trauma-informed, learner-centered, and consistently impactful. This became the subject of much of my research and programmatic work: how to support kids in a way that is empowering and gratifying for them, their educators and their caregivers.