Let me start by saying that AHB Community School is my dream school! I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to join such an amazing community dedicated to learning and sharing. My journey to AHB has been a long and exciting one. My mother swears that I announced at 4 years old that this would be my profession. I don't remember it that way. I remember wanting to be an opera singer. So, I guess being a school director falls somewhere in the middle. I became dedicated to teaching while still in high school. I volunteered at People's Community Clinic as a patient's advisory board member and health educator. I worked with pregnant teens and street youth as a peer counselor. At this same time, I also worked at the Teen Help Line as a crises counselor and board member. Then a couple years later, starting with the birth of my first daughter Kaya, I dove head first into the pre-school teaching world!

My educational background is varied, to say the least. I have been home schooled, Waldorf schooled, Montessori schooled, and public schooled. I have worked for (and my daughters have attended): parent run co-ops, Waldorf-oriented and Montessori pre-schools, public schools and public-charter schools. Recently, I have been the Development Coordinator for the Austin Discovery School helping the administration with various projects including fund raising, events, after school programs, parent education programs, volunteerism and service learning opportunities for the ADS community in the greater Austin community. My previous teaching experience focused on early childhood with: South Austin Children's Cooperative, Starbright Preschool, Montessori Escuela de Montopolis as well as bilingual Kindergarten at Maplewood elementary and Kindergarten/first grade at ADS.

I hold an EC-4 teaching certificate from the State of Texas as well as a B.A. from UT-Austin in History/Applied Learning & Development and a M.Ed. from Texas State University-San Marcos in bilingual/bicultural education. I am currently working on my PhD. in Educational Administration at Texas State University-San Marcos. Some of my related volunteer work includes teaching ESL in Mexico and Guatemala at: Colegio Cuernavaca, Casa Xelaju, Colegio Alonzo Morelio, and La Pedrera. Additionally I was the Community Wellness Program developer and manager of Ruta Maya Coffee House for over 12 years.

http://www.austinhomebase.org/about.php