I am a fierce advocate for public education and will continue fighting for a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where all students and staff can thrive. I draw from my background as a first-generation college graduate with working class roots as well as being a parent to three children in elementary and high school in the district.
I am seeking reelection to the Saline Board of Education as my first term comes to an end. Since 2018, I have established myself as strong on policy, including Chairing the Board’s Policy Committee three years and introducing new policies including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee Policy and the Transgender and Nonbinary Students Policy, both of which were adopted unanimously by the board. I have received extensive training from the Michigan Association for School Boards (MASB), and I have been a strong advocate for public education at the local, state, and national levels.
I have an M.A. degree in Educational Leadership with a focus in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Eastern Michigan University, and I have a B.A. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in Leadership and Social Change from Virginia Tech. For thirteen years, I worked in student affairs at the college level, providing service-learning experiences for students at the University of Michigan, coordinating programming for the Women’s Resource Center and Center for Social Justice and Inclusion at UM-Dearborn, and more. In 2021, following the pandemic, I chose to leave the work-force to support the complex needs of my children. Being a stay-at-home-mom has given me the opportunity to volunteer in a greater capacity in the schools, giving me additional perspective and greater connection to Saline Schools.
I am a big proponent for transparency, and I am a school board member you can count on to ask the tough questions at the board table. For example, I have asked for better data regarding bullying, harassment, and hate speech; I have pushed for greater input on policies from the communities impacted by the policies; and I put pressure on the district to publish administrative guidelines to guide the building staff in the implementation of policies. I will always stand up for my core values and speak up for those who continue to be marginalized.