I graduated from the International Academy of Macomb in 2019 and the University of Michigan in 2023. Both my high school and college experiences solidifed my love for learning and appreciation for community. I started college with plans to go into the medical field, but my experiences in school inspired my transition to the world of education. The hard work and support of educators over many years truly revealed the power of being a teacher, and I decided I wanted to be that person for other students. I specifically credit my 9th grade Spanish teacher as my true inspiration for teaching, as she was the one who helped spark my own joy of the Spanish language and the classroom in general.

After 9 summers as a camper, I worked as a camp counselor at YMCA Camp Kern for 5 years. Camp taught me the Four Core Values (respect, caring, honesty, and responsility), but it also showed me the beauty of being yourself and enjoying the small moments in life with the people around you. This is where I realized how much I loved working with and mentoring kids. A lot of my classroom management and relationship building skills come from my time at camp. Many of the strategies I used as a counselor are applicable within the classroom.

I have lived with various mental health issues for most my life. Various educators have impacted me both positively and negatively in the past, so this is something that is always at the forefront of my teaching. Student well-being and mental health is a key factor in my relationship building and is one of the major focuses in my teaching philosophy.