Tell us about
yourself.
I grew up in Amagansett, NY, a
beach community at the very end of Long Island. I am the youngest of six children, and so currently I'm an aunt to 7 nieces
and 3 nephews. Growing up without a TV and with two athletic parents, reading and sports were a big part of my childhood.
I went to Brown
University where I studied American Civilization (but really took classes in all different areas), and played field hockey
and softball. After college, I served in an Americorps program called Athletes in Service which took me to Boston where I
worked in resource-poor public schools, teaching, running after-school programs, doing diversity, violence-prevention and
conflict resolution workshops.
Art has always been
a part of my life, so I began getting into graphic and web design. My design path took me to my current web design job with
The Education Alliance at Brown University.
I'm happy to be
back in Rhode Island (it’s been almost 2 years now). I have a special love for the ocean and have been surfing since
I was little. I try to get to Narragansett or Newport whenever the waves are good.
Why did you decide to teach at RIFLI?
I enjoyed my work
as a designer, but I missed teaching and having a direct impact on an underserved community. As I started to look for areas/organizations
I could be a part of, the position at RIFLI stood out. I had experience with ESOL children in Boston schools, and adults at
the Cambridge Women's Center and found it really rewarding. And, I believed in the mission of RIFLI and the goals of the initiative.
What is your favorite part about teaching?
I love connecting
with the students.
It feels good to
know that I'm providing them tools and skills to reach their goals, while at the same time, each student I interact with inevitably
teaches me something about myself, life or the world.
What is your number one hope for your students?
I hope that each
student knows they are an intelligent, strong, talented, deserving person who has the ability to reach any of their goals.
