Who Am I?

Born and raised in Maryland, and educated in Prince Georges County Public Schools, I received my BA in Secondary Social Studies Education from the University of Maryland in 2002.  I taught World and US history in Calvert County, Maryland.  While there, I also established and coached 3 dance team programs in middle and high schools within the county, sponsored student activities, and participated in county level standardized test item creation during the summers.  I also had the honor of supervising a teacher intern.  After 5 years, I became a statistical loss, and left the classroom as a highly qualified, but thoroughly burned out young teacher in 2007.

My partner, Jason, and I moved to Lakewood, Colorado in 2009.  I worked with a non-profit organization contracted to provide job readiness training and work experience placement for people receiving state and federal assistance through the city and county of Denver.  

In 2012 we were blessed with our first child, and in 2016 we completed our family with the birth of our second child.  At the same time, I became a professional religious educator within my religious community.  I am currently in my seventh year as the Director of Religious Exploration at a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Denver.  In this position, I continue to support children, youth, and families with a variety of lived experiences and identities.  I am grateful everyday that my personal values and my professional talents align.  

In my free time, my oldest child and I are working toward our purple belts in Karate.  Our family loves to swim, paddleboard, rollerskate, and play soccer.  I enjoy watching movies, TV shows, and reading books that tell stories from a variety of perspectives different than my own.  I also enjoy dancing, arts and crafts, playing the ukulele, singing, and playing the piano.