My Background
I was born and raised in Fairfax County so I bring a unique breadth of lived experience to the School Board. I attended and graduated from FCPS (’86) and then after receiving my degrees, decided on a career in public service and became a teacher where I had the honor of getting to know teachers and staff at Robinson Secondary, Sandburg Middle, and Marshall High during the first years of my career.
After having our two kids and moving from the classroom into an administrative role, I married the roles of education and technology over the next two decades and helped grow our IT department, bringing new solutions and technologies into the classroom. While working in IT, I still get back to my roots as a teacher/mentor by working with students as part of our internship program. I’ll always, in my heart, be focused on education and the constant change we must embrace to foster in our kids a love of learning.
My Priorities
Our kids today have virtually limitless possibilities. I passionately want to see us promoting all career paths at the end of their time with us in Fairfax. We can meet this moment we’re in now with options that include college as well as technical and trade skills desperately in demand.
My teaching background is in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and I feel strongly that Fairfax County Public Schools must continue to expand and enhance our courses for students who have real skills with their hearts and hands to give them opportunities to grow those skills and to even turn them into real work and career experiences not only while they’re with us learning but after graduation in today’s modern workforce.
I’m in no way putting down or relegating to second class the path to college (as many feel has been done to those in the technical and skills-based trades). What I am saying is that we need to be excited to present opportunities to students and for them to find a passion that may not lie entirely within the realm of our traditional studies. We have to be vigilant to seek out those who will benefit from these special and extremely valuable programs and give them those golden opportunities to find their passion and path.
