For as long as I can remember education has been my passion. My mother was a speech and language specialist, and I recall spending time in her classrooms as a child and adolescent. I loved watching her interactions with students and supporting their growth. It sparked a desire in me to pursue education and create that with my own students. I was blessed to be able to attend an SDA Academy in Riverside, California. The teachers there also helped to influence my decision to go into education.  I studied Elementary Education at Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. While there, I had several moments that further ignited my passion for education. Two of those opportunities were a pre-teacher intuition internship at NASA and a student teaching assignment at a magnet school for science and foreign language.

While in school I found employment at a center for Applied Behavior Concepts working with children diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum disorders. I was assigned clients in the preschool class and soon began stepping in for the teacher as needed and ran an afterschool enrichment session for students in need of social skills support. After graduation in 2006. I took a position co-teaching at this same school.  Life took me back to where I was from in Riverside, California. While there I worked as a Site coordinator a Title I afterschool program for 7 years. This position gave me the opportunity to work with teachers, students, families, and administration to I pray to create opportunities and experiences for students and families.

In 2014 I walked out on faith and followed the Lord’s leading and moved to Wenatchee. I took a position as the director of Cascade Christian Childcare, the early childhood division of CCA. The CCA family was so welcoming to my family. My time as director enabled me to build relationships with students, teachers, and families. It has been a blessing being able to be a part of a Christian learning environment.

It is my belief that a child’s first and forever teachers are their parents. The Bible says “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  I believe that my classroom should be an extension of what is taught at home. Emotional security is a major factor in the overall safety of each child. Making sure that children feel cared for, that they are spoken to in a calm and respectful manner, and that they know that they can express their own emotions is crucial. Teaching children the importance of emotions and social emotion cues plays a major role in creating an emotionally safe environment The word of God gives us so many gems that will guide me in supporting students to know that God is always with them.