PERSONAL STATEMENT:

“I am passionate about improving access to high quality education to students of color and supporting teachers to maintain a sustainable social-emotional capacity to impact in the lives of their students.”

WHY TAF?
I have chose to work at TAF because I recognize that each of the programs TAF operates addresses a really important need in the development of an equitable education system. I feel like I am a part of a group that is fighting a good fight, for all of the right reasons. I love and trust the people I work with and I am so dedicated to the teachers and students we touch.

TAF RESUME

• TAF Martinez Fellow, 2012 – present
• Math Teacher, TAF Academy, 2013 – 2016
  • Building Leadership Team/Math Team Lead
  • Field trip Chaperone, TAF Academy (Imagine Tomorrow, The Chocolate Factory Tour, Women’s Symposium, Tacoma Art Museum, Field Day at Dash Point, Open Mic Night, Facing Homelessness, Mini Makers Fair, Seattle College Fair, and many, many more!)

• Martinez Fellowship Program Manager, TAF, 2016 – present
  • Coordinated annual IslandWood Martinez Fellowship retreat
  • Launched first Martinez Fellowship ‘Friendsgiving’

FEATURE

The last project I taught as a TAF Academy teachers was called, Money, Race and Success. This was my favorite project to plan, teach and reflect on! I’d read a New York Times article that has interactive graphs, comparing educational attainment and socio-economic status. I knew that my students would enjoy uncovering the story that the graphs tell and I loved that this article addresses the disparities that exist in our education system.

The driving question for our project was, How can you deepen your understanding of the connection between money, race and academic success in the U.S education system? Our 3 weeks working on this project were filled with beautiful questions, difficult conversations, an analysis of the education system’s history and current outcomes, tears and passion. To conclude the project, students participated in a seminar discussion, using data-based evidence to address the following questions:

• Why are all educations not equal, regardless of economic situation?
• How can we relate historical hierarchy to modern day socio economics?Explain
• Why is the U.S education system so impacted by money and race?
• How has blending races together in school affected the school system?
• How can an individual overcome socioeconomic status? Explain?
• What can people do to help make the impact of having higher academic success throughout more schools regardless of race and income?
• How are other races affected by the achievement gap?
• Why do white people feel powerful among other races?
• Through the use of other races that do succeed, how can we create programs to help others that don’t succeed and fix the gap between races and economically impacted families?
• How is TAF Academy dealing with the achievement gap?

FAVORITE QUOTE

If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.

(African Proverb)

WHY TAF?
I’ve actually been connected to TAF for quite some time. Back in 1997, I was of one of the first cohorts of Technical Teens Internship Program (TTIP). I had no clue what I was signing up for. I just thought I would learn how to code. I did, but that wasn’t the only thing I gained from the program.

For me, beyond the HTML, TAF became the environment that allowed me to build self-confidence, overcome challenges, and discover skills that would stay with me through college and into my career.

Even after returning to Seattle after eight years of living in Boston, I’ve been able to fulfill my passion of serving others through TAF. It’s almost as though my journey has come full circle by coming back to TAF as a foundation staff member. I now work alongside Trish and Sherry, the ones whom I once learned from!

TAF RESUME

• Technical Teens Internship Program (TTIP), 1997 – 2001
  • Intranet Intern, Perkins Coie
  • Web Design Track
• Development Associate, TAF , 2016 – present
  • Project Manager, TAF Varsity Luncheon
  • Volunteer Program Manager

FEATURE

Last month, I had the pleasure of serving as a mentor to Sheyla and Leah, two TAF Academy girls, who were preparing their STEM Expo project. Although my day job is a Development Associate, in my spare time, I also manage my own natural skincare business. The girls needed help learning about natural ingredients to solve common skincare problems, and I was happy to help.

I met the girls at TAF Academy and brought an array of ingredients for them to experiment with. They were beyond excited! In fact they spent their entire lunch period, (and more), concocting various lip balms and body salves.

For me, it was nice to share something that I’m so passionate about with young people. I think that if we can get more professionals in [to TAF Academy] to work with our students, more students would realize their endless possibilities.

WHEN I GROW UP…

“I want to be a mechanic.”

TAF RESUME

• Transformation Student, Boze Elementary, 2015 – present
  • Boze STEAM Fair, 2016, 2017

FEATURE

What has been your favorite thing you’ve done at school?

“My favorite part of school was creating our invention for our community helper, [a mechanic], so that he can reach hot engines to fix them with an extender.”

How did you think about using an extender?

“[It was inspired by] the sea otter ’cause sea otters have good grips.”

WHEN I GROW UP…

“I want to be a director of New York stage plays because I love acting and it would be fun to make up my own shows.”

TAF RESUME

• Transformation Student, Boze Elementary, 2015 – present
  • Boze STEAM Fair, 2016, 2017

FEATURE

What has been your favorite thing you’ve done at school?

“My favorite part of a project was that we were able to help our community to work together instead of having problems along the way. I liked it because there was a lot of problems we saw in our school and we were able to find solutions to some of those problems to help everything go smooth.”