Philosophy

I am a visionary leader with a belief that all children, given the proper supports, can and will succeed.  

I am a courageous, out of the box thinker with a passion for arts education.

Finally, I am reflective.  I believe that reflection is what allows us the opportunity to affect real change in ourselves and in those whose lives we touch.

ACSA REGION XV PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR 2021

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

principal

I currently serve as Executive Principal of Altadena Eliot Arts Magnet (K-8) One School, Two Campus span school in the Pasadena Unified School District.  I am known for my passion and enthusiasm for arts education.  I formerly served as Assistant Principal for Student Support Services at Marshall Fundamental School (6-12). As a two time recipient of the Magnet School Assistance Grant and the leader of the first French Dual Language Immersion Program in PUSD, I have doubled enrollment, increased parent engagement and built an exemplary arts conservatory for students in grades 6-8.

leadership

In 2021 I was called to serve as Executive Principal overseeing the strategic vision and arts articulation between two arts magnet sister schools. Together with the community, we created a One School, Two Campus design that has resulted in increased enrollment and a first ever arts conservatory in the Pasadena USD.

educational doctoral degree

My wish for my students is that they always continue to learn and grow, and I hold myself to this same standard. In 2019, I completed a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and I absolutely loved it!  My passion is Arts Education and my dissertation is focused on English Language Learners, specifically LTELs, and how they can move toward greater engagement in school and higher academic achievement, by being included in a choral music classroom with ELD standards embedded.  

teacher

I began my career in education as a teacher, and it has helped shaped my educational philosophy. In my classroom, students were encouraged to see the best in themselves and explore their strengths.  I believe that all children, given the right circumstances, can and will succeed.  After many years in the classroom, I began to see a bigger picture and have since sought to implement my ideas in an administrative capacity.  My passion is to create happier, more effective schools, where children are excelling, and parents feel engaged in the whole school community.  

curriculum resource leadership

As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme Coordinator I had the opportunity to support teachers in creating IB Units of Study. In my role as an arts administrator, I have led teachers through the creation and implementation of arts integrated units of study in all four core academic subjects aligned with Common Core and new VAPA standards.

arts background

One of my greatest sources of joy in life is music, and I carry this joy with me as an educational leader.  In the performing arts, students find community, learn collaboration skills and find ways to perform in front of an audience; creating the original project-based learning experiences.  To that end, I continue to be personally involved in the professional arts community both as a performer and as a playwright.  In addition to voicing a character for a popular Disney show, Phineas & Ferb, I co-wrote a musical, Bend in the Road, The Anne of Green Gables Musical, one of ten new musicals featured at the New York New Musical Festival in 2013.  Currently, Bend in the Road is being performed as a reading at the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte  summer 2017.