My aha moment occurred when I was a junior in college. I always had a great admiration for good teachers - teachers that helped me be excited about learning and kept me motivated and engaged - but I had never really thought about education as a career. A good friend strongly suggested I student teach. He said, "Even if you don't want to be a teacher, you should do it for the experience." I wasn't sure if it would be a good fit, but I immediately fell in love with teaching and the interactions I would have with students. Being an educator is working for a better future. It is an optimistic and inspiring career.

My greatest rewards come from the interactions and connections I make with people in my work and in the community. I love developing long term relationships with students, families and colleagues. I truly enjoy listening to others' points of view and having meaningful discussions about topics I believe are important to our future. I feel rewarded every day that I get to work with people who care about making the world a better place.

Breakthrough works! Thanks to strong community support, a great program team and highly individualized attention to the students' academic and personal needs, we are able to break down the barriers for first-generation college students and work to ensure middle school, high school and college success. Research conducted by external and independent consultants found that Breakthrough Austin students are 3.5 times more likely to graduate from high school and almost 2 times more likely to enroll in college than a comparable group of students. I'm incredibly proud of our students' accomplishments and extremely grateful to be associated with such a high performing organization.

My survival kit would contain one item - a magic lamp with a genie, and my first wish would be to have unlimited wishes.

Mint chocolate chip ice cream.

I enjoy going to the hike and bike trail on Ladybird Lake. It is great to be outdoors, get some exercise and spend time with family and friends.