I am excited to start my first year at Deane Elementary (and 8th year in Jeffco) as the Social Emotional Learning Specialist (SELS). I come to school each morning because I believe that children deserve healthy connections, relationships, and community as a foundation to accomplish anything they desire. I believe that in order for kids to develop into happy and healthy adults, we have to create an environment and opportunities for them to do so, and that we have to teach them what we expect. I believe that the earlier we start teaching our children to value each other, the better chance we have of changing our world to be more peaceful and kind. I believe in Deane’s vision to serve the whole child, its teachers, and its community, and I strive to look for innovative ways to explore equity in classrooms and our school culture.

My job includes supporting students and teachers with whole class lessons on social skills, solving problems and respecting differences. We utilize the Second Step program for whole class social-emotional learning so that our students can continue to improve their skills for learning, empathy, emotion management and problem solving. In March 2020, I adopted my ebullient puppy, Ricki. She is a handful but brings so much joy! In my free time (which I used to have before Ricki), I enjoy Rockies baseball, hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, being in the mountains, sharing meals with my family & friends, and reading.