I was born and raised in Southeast Washington, DC into a family of humble means. Despite financial challenges, my parents worked diligently to show me that my possibilities are endless. They made sure I was exposed to everything -- ballet, vocal training, and art. This enabled me to dream big and helped me understand that throughout my life journey, I could continuously evolve and contribute to my community. In addition to exposure, my family instilled in me an appreciation for community. I use this analogy when speaking to the parents I work with when thinking about the support their children need: think of it as a body with different parts that work together to support your child. It has a brain, a heart, blood, bones, and fingers. Each part of the body is interconnected and interdependent. When all parts are working together harmoniously, our possibilities are limitless. This is how I understand community and why I believe it is so important.
In my proverbial "body" of support, my mother is the heart. She often recites this quote: "the size of one's success is measured by the strength of their desire and how they handle disappointment along the way." I found this to be true when, three years ago, I unexpectedly became very ill. It felt like I lost all of the progress I worked so diligently to make in my career, personal life, and spiritual life. It took a full two years for me to recover. I was only able to do so because of the loving support of my family and close friends. That experience shook me to my core and solidified my sense of purpose. I am here to be of service to my personal and global community. I know that if I didn't have the support of my proverbial body, each interconnected part working to help me prevail, I wouldn't be where I am today. It is my duty to pay it forward.

I graduated from high school when I was 16 years old and went on to study Theater at the University of the Arts. After my freshman year, I volunteered for an organization called "Art for Africa" in Cape Town, South Africa. There, I worked with 150 primary and high school students from Gugulethu, one of the most violent cities in the world. I helped young people use theatre as a vehicle to express themselves and tell their stories. What I didn't realize immediately was how much they were impacting my life. I was entangled in these young people's experiences and they welcomed me with open arms. I began to learn Xhosa, which allowed us to share the role of teacher and student.
My personal and professional experiences have shown me that education is the doorway, and community is the key. The best educators are not just ones who go to school and learn curriculum and strategies, but they are the ones who dig deep within themselves, build lasting relationships with their students and have a fundamental understanding that I am great because I have been cultivated and nurtured by the generations of excellence that came before me.