Background

After graduating from University of San Diego, I began my career in education by teaching High School Biology at a local High School. With five classes of 35 plus students, I began to feel like I was not able to truly help the students who required more of my attention. Thus, I started down the path of Special Education and began my journey at Sierra Academy. After working with special education students, I realized that one of the largest areas of need for them was in the social skills area. This growing awareness drove me to return to school and receive my Masters in Education with a specialization in Counseling. With that, I began the counseling center at Sierra. So, with a few years of teaching and a few years of counseling under my belt, I had the opportunity to step into an administrative role within our school. Going on my fourth year as the director here at Sierra Academy, the rest is history!

My Favorite Part

First let me say that I LOVE MY JOB! The small things throughout the day are what keep me going. Listening to students laugh and watching staff get to the heart of teaching is what drives me every day. Working with a fantastic group of professionals and parents is why our students succeed in the ways that they do.

The Challenges

The most challenging part of my position is also the most rewarding. The student population that we serve here at Sierra Academy is so diverse, it requires many laborious hours manipulating programs and schedules to design the program that works best for different students. As laborious as it may be to create and adjust a program, when the student begins to thrive the hard work pays off!

The Future

As I see it, the future of the Sierra Academy of San Diego is endless! It is my goal to make an impact on the special education community in San Diego. With a loyal parent base, supportive districts, and terrific staff – we are well on our way to facilitating a better quality of life for many students.