After a few years of teaching I recognized…
That I loved the school environment, but not necessarily the classroom. I had a passion for learning, for students, for equitable access, but not as a teacher. I first left the classroom to be the diversity coordinator for a private school. At the same time, I met my husband, an Air Force man, and we moved shortly after getting married. Each time we moved as a military family, I was able to re-invent myself. At the same time, we were growing our family, so I worked as a childcare director, taught early childhood education courses for different colleges, worked as a curriculum coordinator and assistant admission director for a private school, and more. In 2013 I earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and began looking for a job as well as a charter middle school for my daughter. I found a charter school that had high expectations for each student, coupled with systems that supported autonomy and emotional development. It was the perfect school for my anxious, timid, unconfident, but extremely bright daughter; and turned out to be the right school for me to grow as a leader. I was the founding assistant principal for half of a year, prior to being named the founding Head of School of the networks’ second campus in Texas. I recruited every family, hired the entire, staff, set the culture of the school, nurtured and developed my teachers, staff, and students. It was an amazing experience that lead me to my true passion and calling. I found that, even more than leading, I was my best when I was supporting, developing, coaching, and mentoring. Nothing made me prouder than to help others actualize their dreams. I was the founding principal for a school of excellence that was named the number one middle school in Texas, and the number 10 charter middle school in the nation. It was one of my proudest professional moments. Now my dream is to support other school leaders as they set out to found innovative school models that will bring diversity, equity, access, and rigor to as many students as possible nationally.