I live in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and I am working toward an A.A. in Liberal Arts at Bay Mills Community College while I raise my children and support students during the school day. My path into education has not been a straight line, and I think that is exactly what makes me want to teach.

How I got here

I started out as a Certified Medical Assistant, then spent time as a behavior technician for children with autism, and later as a caregiver for adults with disabilities. Each of those roles taught me something I now bring into education — patience, calm under pressure, and how much a person can grow when someone believes in them. Today I work as a virtual speech therapy aide for Sault Area Middle School, supporting students during their online sessions. Watching students light up when they feel understood is what confirmed I am in the right field.

What shapes me as a teacher

As a mother and college student, I understand how deeply cultural background and life experiences shape a child's needs. I know what it feels like to be the person balancing school, work, and family at the same time. That perspective keeps me humble and keeps me listening — to my students, to their families, and to the pieces of a story that do not always show up on paper.

Partnering with families

I treat families as the experts on their own children. As a mom, I know how much it matters when a teacher actually listens. I communicate often, keep things honest, and treat the home-school relationship as a real partnership.

I want to create learning environments that celebrate identity, encourage self-expression, and build resilience. Supporting students emotionally and academically is at the heart of why I want to teach.

Every student deserves to be seen.

Being seen is the beginning of belonging. Students who feel truly known by their teacher are more willing to take a risk, ask for help, and try again after they stumble. I hold high expectations because I respect my students enough to believe they can rise to them with the right support.

Relationships come before academics.

Before I teach a skill, I get to know the student. I learn what makes them laugh, what makes them shut down, and what makes them light up. Working in speech therapy and ABA taught me that trust is what unlocks progress. I invest in relationships first — not as a strategy, but because it is the honest and human thing to do.

Identity belongs in the classroom.

Students should not have to leave their culture, language, or family story at the door. When we make space for identity — cultural background, immigrant, neurodivergent, or any other — we tell students that who they are is not something to overcome. It is something to build from.

Students learn best when they feel safe.

Emotional safety is not optional. When a student's nervous system is calm, they can think, wonder, and stretch. When it is not, no lesson plan will land. I work to create classrooms where students can breathe first, then learn.

Meeting students where they are

Every student I have worked with — in speech therapy, in ABA, in caregiving — has brought a different profile of strengths, challenges, and communication styles. I plan with that reality in mind. I lean on visuals, repetition, positive reinforcement, sensory-aware supports, and clear routines so that students with a wide range of needs can access learning in ways that make sense to them.

Growth is measured individually.

I do not compare my students to each other. I compare them to who they were last week, last month, last semester. Progress is honored in whatever form it takes — a reading gain, a first self-advocating sentence, or a hard day that ended without shutting down.

Special education unlocks potential.

My students are not broken versions of other students. They are whole people with their own wiring, their own gifts, and their own way of moving through the world. My job is to find the supports, tools, and pathways that let their potential come forward. I am not here to erase difference. I am here to make sure difference is never a barrier.

Different, not less.
Limitless, not fixed.