About Me

I am a lifelong educator, a single parent of a rising senior. An 18-year Amherst resident, I was born and raised in Western MA. Currently, I direct a local higher education access program. 

My son has attended every school in the Amherst district, from preschool at Crocker Farm through Wildwood and Fort River to ARMS and ARHS. At each, I contributed my time and energy. I’ve been a class parent, been involved with SEPAC, chaired the Middle School Grants Committee, served on Fort River’s Multicultural/Multilingual Parent Engagement Committee, and been on the summer team for the Community Garden. 

As my son gets older, I have the opportunity to give back to the community that served him. As a single parent, I know it truly takes a village, and I’ve been so fortunate to have that from the amazing educators and staff at Amherst schools as well as the community mentors here in town. 

My professional background aligns well with the role of an SC member. I’ve worked at every level of education, from the Head Start program and the lab preschool at HCC to Marlboro College and the University of Denver, where I taught courses on youth and children’s rights. I’ve worked in educational evaluation and research here in Western MA; in Denver, with LARASA and the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children; and internationally, helping youth in conflict and post-conflict recovery. When I moved back to Amherst, I continued teaching students at the college level, and I am now the director of a higher education equity and access organization that works to build a college-going community among students from under-resourced Springfield schools. The mission and purpose of my work has always been to strengthen communities by supporting youth and their families holistically, with cultural humility.