Contact

[email protected]

Profile + Objective

Through my twenty years of teaching high school social studies, I gained a passion for building interactive curriculums and building partnerships within the community in order to create a relevant experience for my students. 

That passion has guided me to working more in the community, building experiences for people who are striving to better their lives. 

Through my collaborative and creative personality, I bring partners together and help develop new approaches to learning and engaging.

Summary of Qualifications

  • Build and maintain relationships with corporate partners. 
  • Design job readiness curriculum for adults searching to better their future.
  • Manage staff of Case Managers. 
  • Model community engagement and compassionate citizenship through organizing community conversations.
  • Coordinate international experiences that present students with global perspectives.
  • Lead school in adopting a dual credit program to provide students a rigorous curriculum and college credit.

Experience

​Teacher, Akron Early College
Akron Early College, APS
Akron, OH | Aug 2018 to Present
​Akron2Akron Coordinator
​Akron, OH | Jan 2017 to 2021
  • Organize walking tours of Akron's neighborhoods. 
  • Collaborate with neighborhood businesses and community organizations to highlight neighborhood bright spots. 
  • Research and present area history, entrepreneurs, and potential. 
Adjunct Instructor
The University of Akron
Akron, OH | Aug 2018 to Present
  • Instructing teacher candidates about the C3 curriculum. 
  • Preparing future social studies teachers about best practice. 
  • Providing teacher candidates opportunities to engage with and learn from community partners. 
Community Works Connection (CWC) Manager
OPEN M
Akron, OH | Sept 2017 - Aug 2018
  • Create curriculum for adult education and job readiness program. 
  • Build relations with corporate partners. 
  • Manage staff of Case Managers, Transportation Directors, and assistants.
  • Promote and market CWC to employers.
  • Recruit for program through presentations in the community.

Independent Contractor
Knight Foundation
Akron, OH | 2017
  • Organizing Common Threads events that bring people of different backgrounds and cultures together in a common setting to engage in conversation. 
  • Design the Akron2Akron walks that help community members see the past and potential of Akron, while meeting new people.
  • Build relationships with all reaches of Akron, from local business leaders to non-profit organizations to our educational institutions. 

Program Manager
Global Ties Akron
Akron, OH | 2016 to 2017
  • Build educate programs that inform Akron's students about the strength in diversity. 
  • Write grants to further the engaging programs of Global Ties that aim to strengthen collaboration between Akron and the international world, as well as educate Akron Public School students about the world. 

Social Studies Department Chair/Teacher
Archbishop Hoban High School
Akron, OH | 2003 to 2016
  • Build rigorous alternative lessons and assessments, including differentiated instruction, in order to cater to all learning styles.
  • Establish safe, yet challenging environment and positive rapport with students.
  • Collaborate on curriculum mapping and interdisciplinary projects.
  • Create engaging projects, activities, and assessments that relate to real-life skills and college-readiness.
  • Encourage and support department members on creative projects.
  • Build and organize department budget.

Adjunct Instructor, International Politics Instructor
St. Louis University dual credit with Archbishop Hoban High School
Akron, OH | 2013 to 2016
  • Challenge high school students with rigorous curriculum and college readiness.
  • Prepare lessons that require higher-order thinking skills. 

Curriculum Writer
Akron, OH | 2005 to 2016
  • Responsible for ensuring the completion of departmental curriculum maps.
  • Create class and curriculum for Hometown Histories course.
  • Incorporate engaging activities into curriculum that challenge student problem-solving skills.
  • Present at 2015 OCEA Conference regarding creating an engaging and rigorous dual credit course.

Community

Ohio Council for the Social Studies Board Member
Columbus, OH 2023 to Present
  • Advocate for social studies teachers and curriculum in Ohio. 
  • Organize the OCSS Conference.
  • Petition lawmakers to support social studies programs that promote critical thinking.

Akron Promise Board Member
Akron, OH 2016 to Present
  • Developed scholarship for students from Kenmore-Garfield High School. 
  • Partnered with Stark State College for scholarship and wrap-around services. 
  • Organized golf outing fundraiser to raise funds for scholarship. 

Summit Artspace Board Member
Akron, OH 2017 to 2020
  • Headed Community Outreach Committee, reaching out to organizations and scheduling events to attend. 
  • Led Nominations Committee for the Arts Alive awards. 
  • Reached out to community partners to build awareness. ​

Project HOPE Coordinator 
Akron, OH 2009 to 2016 (in the Akron Beacon Journal)
  • Co-created and facilitate outreach program with students to downtown, feeding the less fortunate while building friendships.
  • Created leadership opportunity for students to take charge and bring their enthusiasm and positivity to others. 
  • Manage inventory and budget for Project HOPE. 
  • Maintain Project HOPE blog to communicate stories to Hoban community.

Peace and Justice Club Advisor
2006 to 2016
  • Organize annual fair trade sale.
  • Attend social justice teach-in.
  • Sponsor a student in Unified for Uganda.

Board of Trustees Secretary
InterReligious Taskforce on Central America
Cleveland, OH 2009 to 2011
  • Helped reach out to and educated about the needs of populations in Central and South America.
  • Wrote personnel policy and initiated annual work plan for employees.
  • Worked with donors to build fundraising base.

International Relations

Kosovo Experience
Co-Coordinator
  • Built itinerary of trip by working with partners in Kosovo.
  • Prepared students through pre-trip classes.
  • Collected students’ work from trip to curate art exhibit of photos and journals.

French Exchange Program
Co-Coordinator
  • Collaborated with teacher in Alsace, France to build yearly exchange.
  • Introduced students to Alsatian experience and exchange.
  • Mentored teacher from France in student teacher program.

Education

M.A. in Political Science
The University of Akron | May, 2008

Social Studies 7-12 Licensure
The University of Akron | August, 2003

Bachelor of Science Business/Management
Wittenberg University | August, 1996

Recognition

Teacher of the Year
Akron Early College | 2023

Shining Apple Award
Akron Public Schools | 2023 & 2020

High Arts Festival Award
for poem Father's Day +20 | 2018

Creative Community Fellow
National Arts Strategies| 2017

Teaching Fellow
Brown University | 2015

Public Citizen of the Year
National Association of Social Workers | 2015

Phyllis Layton Perry Educator of the Year
National Committee of International Visitors | 2012

Ohio Master Teacher
Title granted in 2010
​
Excellence in Education
Ohio Magazine | 2007 

Published Writings

  • Rebooting Social Studies: Strategies for Re-imagining History Classes, book anticipated in October, 2016. Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc
  • Momentum, writer
  • Education Weekly, writer
  • Ohio Magazine, recognition
  • Akron Beacon Journal, recognition for leadership and international travel
  • Akronist.com, recognition for community service