My love for reading began in childhood. I would sit, with books all around me, and read for hours. When I was about 10, my mother told me that my great-grandmother couldn’t read, and I broke down in tears. I asked how she was able to get what she needed from the store, and my mother replied, “She looks at the pictures on the labels.” I decided then that I would be a teacher and help people learn to read.

Fast-forward 15 years… I'd earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, then a Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a Reading Specialist certification. I have been a highly-qualified, certified English teacher in California, New Jersey, Virginia, and Florida. In addition to being a teacher in Virginia, I served several years as the English Department Chair of a high school in Richmond. Outside of the classroom, I served as a Literacy Specialist in California and a Curriculum Facilitator in North Carolina.

My training in literacy education has given me the tools to support my dedication to helping others.

As a Literacy Specialist and Curriculum Facilitator, I had the opportunity to help teachers create a cohesive learning environment through professional learning communities. Also, in both positions, a few colleagues and I successfully wrote a proposal and budget to fund afterschool and Saturday tutoring services for the students.

I am passionate about helping middle and high school students, and create literacy and study skills aids so they can acquire the brain-friendly tools necessary to incorporate new information, make connections, or correct background knowledge to promote self-directed learning and subsequent application.