MÔË derives from the three words I unapologetically use to describe myself: Meraki, a Greek word meaning the love and piece of yourself that you put into your work, Orenda an Iroqui word which means making positive changes in your life and in the lives of others, and Elysian, another Greek word meaning beautiful and creative. These words embody how I work with young people today and how I will define my work forever.

Currently, I am a Senior at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where I study Education Leadership and Entrepreneurship. I was born in Lawton, Oklahoma, and raised in Houston, Texas. As I got older, I began to notice my family's toxic and abusive norms and made the decision to find something better for myself and my future. I am determined to grow from my past hardships and lack of resources to interrupt the intergenerational cycle of poverty, abuse, and internalized oppression within my family. I left Houston for Massachusetts to attend my dream school, where I discovered my triple P's: Power, Purpose, and Potential. In my undergrad years, I also attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Isenberg School of Management and studied abroad at Goldsmiths University of London. Each semester, I worked six part-time jobs, including child care, student mentorship, assistant teaching, and event planning. Presently, I am working full time with Americorps as a Teacher’s Assistant while I finish my undergraduate degree. Perhaps this is too much; however, my promise to myself is that I work at jobs where the pay feels like a bonus, so I am continually holding myself accountable to find work I enjoy.

Education has spoken to me as early as nine years old. Teaching highlights include helping my older brother, who has developmental disabilities, learn and grow as well as singing songs with my nieces to help them memorize their vocabulary words. These early teachable moments helped me realize my passion. I currently teach youth self-growth and financial literacy as I seek to help my students have a flourishing life. My mission is to build meaningful relationships with youth and help them develop skills, connections, and confidence in their learning abilities through support and positive reinforcement.I practice a proactive rather than a reactive mindset by training my brain to shift my thought processes in my personal experiences in order to have the happiest, healthiest, and most meaningful life possible. It would be my honor to share these life skills, values, and experiential learning with students and peers.

RESUME