Hometown: Chandler, Arizona

Currently Location: Chandler, Arizona

Can you tell us a bit about your background and what inspired you to pursue your current career path?

I entered the education field unexpectedly after an experience as a Public Information Office intern at the Arizona Department of Education. From that experience I landed my first teaching position in a high needs low income title I school and fell in love with the job. After 3 years of teaching, I made the transition to school administration and just weeks after graduating with my MA from UIS at 26 years old I was fortunate enough to land my first principal job of a K-8 school. A few years later I founded my own nonprofit microschool iCubed Learning and also took on a role with a leading education policy organization where I get to work on state-level policy issues affecting K-12 education around the country.

Who or what has been your biggest influence or mentor in your journey?

During my time at UIS, Dr. Pinky Wassenberg was easily the most influential teacher I have had. Bear in mind, UIS was my first introduction to online asynchronous learning, but I never felt more connected to an educator than I did with Dr. Wassenberg. Whether by luck or design, I had the privilege of taking her classes every year because she always taught the most interesting subjects in our department. She also had an incredible impact on my trajectory in writing and communicating my ideas. She is an exemplar for what teaching is about, even at a distance from Arizona to Illinois. It proved to me that good teaching is more than knowing your stuff but knowing how to draw the best out of those you teach. I’m grateful to her and won’t forget the impact she had.

What are your goals and aspirations for the future?

I think we are entering a new era of k-12 education and I’d like to be at the forefront of that reform effort as a future superintendent at the district or county levels. Changes are afoot in this sector especially as it relates to choice and quality of American k-12 schools. I’m eager to lead discourse and implementation efforts on reforming education to better reflect the needs of our families and communities.

What advice would you give to others who are looking to advance and make a difference in their field?

Find your niche and adopt the mindset of a lifelong student/learner first before anything else. Look for the emerging topics and areas of your field that people aren’t paying as much attention to and make that your specialty. For me that was the ability to understand different systems and models of education spanning traditional public, charter, and private schools.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time that helps you stay inspired and motivated?

I love basketball, and I continue to coach at the high school where I once played. Coaching isn’t too dissimilar from teaching and it’s important work as coaches have understated yet seismic impacts on the lives of their student-athletes. I don’t take that lightly and I love every minute of coaching. Outside of that, I also serve as a volunteer and board member at the Chandler Public Library and the nonprofit Arizona Center for Youth Resources.