My career covers a wide range of experiences, but at its core has been building trust and rapport with people. This includes K-12 youth, community organizations, university faculty, student, staff, and high-level business leadership. I have served students to increase their college and career readiness, educate on the importance of students gaining essential lifelong competencies. Community schooling and career readiness/workforce development are also significant components of my dissertation. As a first-generation student from a working- class background, I know from personal experience many of the challenges facing today’s students. My time teaching Social Science courses at the secondary level inspired me to develop lifelong learning skills that are transferable for underserved populations. My current work and passion for the youth in my community drive me to pursue my doctorate in Teacher Education from the University of South Florida.

Throughout my career, I have excelled at project management, program evaluation, partnership development, assessment, event planning, fiscal management, recruitment, partner support, student orientation, strategic planning and collaborated with high-level business leadership on success initiatives. My work has built trust between community stakeholders and business colleagues for mutually beneficial initiatives. My personal and professional motivation stems from bringing my skills to an organization, navigating through complexity with a solution-focused mindset, and enhancing outcomes for all stakeholders.