Kankakee, Illinois is home for me. As a former resident for 18 years, I experienced a lot of situations that has impacted me mentally and physically. As a youth in our beloved city, I grew up with a loving and caring family on the “Southside!” Some of my hobbies growing up were as followed:

· Football
· Basketball
· Science
· Reading
· Riding my Bicycle

I attended Kankakee School District 111 as youth. During my time in District 111, I was able to grow in the areas of diversity, critical thinking, open-mindedness, and collaboration.

For high school, I attended Bishop McNamara High School. At Bishop McNamara, I contributed in different capacities of the school by being a student-athlete. After four rigorous years at Bishop McNamara, I decided to attend undergraduate school at Saint Xavier University and graduate school at Chicago State University. Both schools are located in Chicago, Illinois.

My educational journey began as an elementary school teacher. For seven years, I worked with students in grades 4 through 8, teaching science, literacy and math. During my time in the classroom, I was fortunate to develop relationships with students which provided a safe environment for them to grow and develop academically. Students remained engaged in the learning process, which also supported their success on multiple assessments. As a teacher, I always looked forward to communicating openly with parents. It was always the highlight of my experience to share with the parents the academic and social growth their child made throughout the school year.

Leadership opportunities began to open up within my school and I became the Science Lead Teacher. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role was the ability to work with my peers. Productive teamwork is critical to a thriving school culture. This collaboration, led to some positive changes in our school’s teaching practices along with an established alliance between teachers and administration. Seven years later, I entered the role of Assistant Principal and Resident Principal in Chicago Public Schools. As Resident Principal in a CPS elementary school, I was the administrator in charge of Restorative Justice and our Data-Driven Instructional Cycle. Through the implementation of Restorative Justice practices, the percentage of out-of-school suspensions decreased by 31 percent for African-American children.

I worked closely with our teachers and families to build a culture where students are taking ownership of their academic and social performances. Through meaningful collaborations, parents participated in workshops and school-level activities; developing an open line of communication between the teachers, administration and their students.

Currently, I’m serving as an Educational Consultant in Illinois.

https://vimeo.com/443271235/862cc2594f