I’ve always been passionate about early childhood education. From my start as a classroom aide at the University of Houston daycare to 21 years as a kindergarten teacher and now as a Senior Research Associate at CLI Houston, my focus has been on developmentally appropriate practices that help children truly thrive.

Teaching showed me firsthand how shifting standards and data-driven mandates reshaped classrooms. That led me to pursue my master’s in Curriculum & Instruction (University of St. Thomas, 2014) and my doctorate (University of Houston, 2022). Through it all, I’ve held onto one truth: academic success and playful, socio-emotional learning are not opposites — they belong together.

I know this because I lived it. Even in today’s high-pressure environment, students in my classroom thrived when joy and care were at the center of the learning experience.

I am committed to bringing teachers and parents together to nurture children’s growth through playful, developmentally appropriate practices.