I want to show my kids that whatever they love,
whatever they want to be, there are always people
to give them unconditional support.
I graduated as a Chemistry major at the University of California, Irvine. I earned my teaching credential through the Cal Teach program, which means I simultaneously worked for my STEM credential while studying for a baccalaureate in science. I have done research with two different groups, and applied both of these into my own research thesis. As a part of the honors program at UCI, I also wrote a thesis on science education, which I am in the process of publishing. Please see my research tab for more information on my academic pursuits and interests.
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On my first day of school in first grade, I was fascinated by the idea of learning in classes, with friends, and by teachers. One of our first assignments was to write about ourselves and share our profiles with the class. The profile you are reading now is more mature, but I am writing the same thing I wrote at five years old. "I want to be a teacher." Since that time, I have extensively prepared myself to lead my own classroom.
I love working with kids, and I have enjoyed teaching students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. I attended fieldwork during the school year as part of my credential program, and also worked in academia each summer to gain experience and continue doing what I love. Programs I have been involved in include Breakthrough Collaborative, Let's Get Ready, Summer Up, and Ardent Academy. While they each served different demographics and regions, all four programs had the purpose of preparing kids to be college ready and develop 21st century skills. Three of the four exclusively served minority, first generation, low income students. Helping these groups of students and providing additional supports on the path to college is essential for equitable opportunities, as well as a personal passion of my own.
I love working with kids, and I have enjoyed teaching students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. I attended fieldwork during the school year as part of my credential program, and also worked in academia each summer to gain experience and continue doing what I love. Programs I have been involved in include Breakthrough Collaborative, Let's Get Ready, Summer Up, and Ardent Academy. While they each served different demographics and regions, all four programs had the purpose of preparing kids to be college ready and develop 21st century skills. Three of the four exclusively served minority, first generation, low income students. Helping these groups of students and providing additional supports on the path to college is essential for equitable opportunities, as well as a personal passion of my own.
In 2015, I spent three months interning at the Department of Education (ED) through my school's Academic Internship Program, during the implementation and transition to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). I worked on two main projects during this time: family and community engagement in education, and computer science education access across the country. As part of this experience, I compiled an analysis of types of community engagement programs throughout ED and presented to a working group composed of leaders in these offices. The work I contributed led to the hiring of a new, full-time position called the Family Ambassador, who has built on my foundation to create inter-department initiatives for community engagement in education. This experience was significant for me because I believe that students should learn in and out of the classroom. By having the community involved in every child's education, they begin to see the real world connections between learning in school and skills in the real world. Families should embrace that every moment is a learning experience in their homes. The other project I worked on promoted CS Ed Week, ahead of former President Obama's call to action at the 2016 State of the Union Address. Obama created an initiative called "CS for All", which I promoted by coordinating between the Department of Defense and Department of Education for "Code-a-thons", "Hour of Coding", and announcements of funding by the NSF and other organizations. I was honored to be a part of this initiative for our nation, and look forward to continuing my contributions at the local level.
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CS Tech Jam at the White House, December 2015.
Astronomy Night at the White House, October 2015.
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