After graduating in 2009, I took a round-about path back to the profession of education, including a brief stint as an au pair for a family in Spain and a 3-year stretch as human resources specialist in Silicon Valley, before ultimately finding my way back to a school setting, in Boston. I first teamed up with nonprofit Scholar Athletes, founded in Boston and dedicated to providing academic support through athletic participation. I served as the coordinator at Boston International Newcomers Academy (BINcA), an urban public high school that serves an entirely low-income immigrant community of English Language Learners. I was tasked with increasing attendance, GPAs, SAT scores, and college acceptances, as well as bolstering the number of students participating in varsity sports and pioneering a new intramural sports program, geared toward first-time athletes and academically-ineligible students. I flourished in this role, largely because of my ability to communicate and collaborate with key stakeholders (i.e., BSA staff, school administration, coaches, other teachers)--skills I attribute to TPP for helping me to develop. 

In 2014, I transitioned to a full-time math teacher at BINcA, teaching curricula ranging from pre-algebra for students with limited/interrupted formal education (SLIFE) to Algebra 2 and SAT prep. Together with an incredibly talented and inspiring staff, I support and empower these students to achieve their goals against all odds. I am frustrated by the unrealistic and often arbitrary demands regularly asked of our students, teachers and schools, especially in communities that are under-resourced and schools that serve specialized populations; but I am encouraged to be part of the movement that brings equity and social justice to all of our youth.

I am grateful to Teacher Prep for first exposing me to school systems different from the one I was raised in, and for empowering me with the knowledge and tools to become a leader in education.