I have always loved a good story. Reading them, crafting them through words or images, and listening to the stories of others. Beneath this is the desire to understand, to know, to connect. To find my way in this world.
Years of unschooling as a teenager lent me unstructured time to think, to find connections and explore my passions for literature, art, and history. Eventually, I entered formal schooling again, this time as an adult learner, and it was through my classroom experiences, both as a student and teacher, that I came to care deeply about education and how people learn.
This led to 14 years as a literature and composition instructor, nine years as a professional development facilitator, and seven in the non-profit sector.
I am also a writer of essays and fiction and an artist working mostly in oil, ink (and lately, my iPad). I began my academic career with a GED and a few semesters at Portland Community College before transferring to St. Andrews University in Scotland where I was awarded a Joint Honours degree in International Relations and Middle East Studies. From there, I went on to graduate school and earned a degree in creative writing in 2008 from St. Anne’s College at the University of Oxford.
My interests include curriculum design, visual storytelling, creative writing, critical, responsive and open pedagogies, mindful productivity and inclusive approaches for adult learning. I am currently an educational consultant and workshop facilitator for a few non-profit organizations, including the Holdsworth Center, will be co-facilitating the Building a Second Brain training next month, and currently also teach Mexican-American literature at Austin Community College for fun.
- You can find out more about my professional experience elsewhere on this website and here.