I am a curious and creative higher education professional who values authenticity, belonging, and meaningful connection. From an early age, I embraced imagination and sensitivity as strengths that continue to shape my work and relationships today.
I take pride in identifying as mixed-race and in cherishing both my blended and chosen families, who ground my values and inspire my sense of community. Guided by curiosity, creativity, and care for others, I strive to bring my whole self into every space, cultivating opportunities for growth and connection.
Who am I?
Born in Oakland, CA
Raised until 8-yo in Berkeley, CA
Moved to El Cerrito, CA (middle of 4th grade)
El Cerrito High School, class of 1997
UC Santa Barbara, class of 2002
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, and Anthropology
Resident of Santa Barbara for 9-years
Dominican University of CA, class of 2005
Master of Science, Counseling Psychology
Mother of two beautiful children
Partner/spouse to a beautiful human
Daughter of loving parents
A story listener, curious to learn more
Sensitive, empath, and healer
Catholic heritage, in conversation with God
Seeking to travel and learn more history
What defines you?
Ancestral bloodlines
Family traditions
Culture
Character
Values/Ethics
Education
Language
Religion/Faith
Food
Relationships
Career
Childhood
Loss
Success
Community
Love
Experiences
Parents/Caregivers
Personality traits
Other
Exploring my roots deepens how I help others grow.
For my birthday in October 2024, I took a DNA test as a gift to myself, curious to learn more about my heritage. While I had always identified as Irish, Italian, and Peruvian, the results revealed connections to ten ancestral regions, sparking new questions and a desire to one day visit each of these lands. This journey reflects the values I bring to my professional life—curiosity to explore, creativity to make meaning, and a commitment to building community and belonging.
If the dad is 46 percent English, 26 percent Irish, 15% french, 8% Portuguese, 3% Spanish, and 2% danish And the mom is 36% Irish, 24% indigenous American from Bolivia and Peru, 19% Spanish, 7% Swedish, 5 percent Germanic Europe, 3% southern China, 2% indigenous American from Educador, 2% basque, 1% Greece and Albania, and 1% southern Italy and eastern Mediterranean What would the genetic makeup of their son and daughter be?
To estimate the genetic makeup of the son and daughter, we assume they inherit about 50% of their DNA from each parent, though the exact proportions can vary due to the random nature of genetic recombination.
Here’s a rough breakdown of how the children's genetic makeup might look:
English: (46% from Dad * 50%) = 23% + (0% from Mom) = ~23%
Irish: (26% from Dad * 50%) = 13% + (36% from Mom * 50%) = 18% → ~31%
French: (15% from Dad * 50%) = ~7.5%
Portuguese: (8% from Dad * 50%) = ~4%
Spanish: (3% from Dad * 50%) = 1.5% + (19% from Mom * 50%) = 9.5% → ~11%
Danish: (2% from Dad * 50%) = ~1%
Indigenous American (Bolivia/Peru): (24% from Mom * 50%) = ~12%
Indigenous American (Ecuador): (2% from Mom * 50%) = ~1%
Swedish: (7% from Mom * 50%) = ~3.5%
Germanic Europe: (5% from Mom * 50%) = ~2.5%
Southern Chinese: (3% from Mom * 50%) = ~1.5%
Basque: (2% from Mom * 50%) = ~1%
Greek/Albanian: (1% from Mom * 50%) = ~0.5%
Southern Italian/Eastern Mediterranean: (1% from Mom * 50%) = ~0.5%
English: ~23%
Irish: ~31%
French: ~7.5%
Portuguese: ~4%
Spanish: ~11%
Danish: ~1%
Indigenous American (Bolivia/Peru): ~12%
Indigenous American (Ecuador): ~1%
Swedish: ~3.5%
Germanic Europe: ~2.5%
Southern Chinese: ~1.5%
Basque: ~1%
Greek/Albanian: ~0.5%
Southern Italian/Eastern Mediterranean: ~0.5%
This is an approximation. In reality, siblings can inherit slightly different proportions of their parents' DNA due to recombination. One child might have slightly more Irish DNA, while another might have more Spanish or Indigenous American heritage.
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.” - JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE
"We can do hard things." - Glennon Doyle
"Beauty, the world seemed to say. And as if to prove it (scientifically) wherever he looked at the houses, at the railings, at the antelopes stretching over the palings, beauty sprang instantly. To watch a leaf quivering in the rush of air was an exquisite joy. Up in the sky swallows swooping, swerving, flinging themselves in and out, round and round, yet always with perfect control as if elastics held them; and the flies rising and falling; and the sun spotting now this leaf, now that, in mockery, dazzling it with soft gold in pure good temper; and now again some chime (it might be a motor horn) tinkling divinely on the grass stalks—all of this, calm and reasonable as it was, made out of ordinary things as it was, was the truth now; beauty, that was the truth now. Beauty was everywhere." - Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (1925)