Prior to my work in higher education, I spent fourteen years in K–12 education, serving in leadership roles focused on student support, school culture, and systems improvement. Throughout my career, I have worked as an advocate, educator, administrator, trainer, and facilitator. These experiences have taught me that meaningful change requires both accountability and understanding. Rather than viewing advocacy and dialogue as opposing approaches, I am interested in how they can work together to create conditions for learning, repair, and transformation.

I am currently completing a Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation at Eastern Mennonite University, where my research explores how institutions respond to harm, how reporting systems shape decision-making, and how care-centered approaches can strengthen accountability, learning, and trust. My work draws from conflict transformation, restorative justice, care ethics, violence prevention, and organizational change.

My understanding of harm and institutional response is shaped not only by professional experience but also by lived experience. As an advocate, educator, leader, mother of five daughters, and community member, I have experienced conflict and harm from multiple perspectives. Like many of the individuals and organizations I work with, I have navigated systems during moments of crisis, uncertainty, and profound change. These experiences continue to deepen my commitment to helping people and institutions respond in ways that preserve dignity, foster accountability, and create opportunities for healing and growth.

As a practitioner, I have worked alongside students, families, educators, administrators, advocates, law enforcement professionals, attorneys, healthcare providers, and community partners. These experiences have led me to develop what I call the Translator Framework—an approach that helps people move from misunderstanding and defensiveness toward understanding, accountability, and possibility.

I believe lasting change happens when people are willing to engage difficult truths, remain curious across difference, and create space for both accountability and hope. Whether I am consulting with institutions, facilitating dialogue, supporting families, training professionals, or leading workshops, my goal is the same: to help humanize systems and strengthen our collective capacity to respond to conflict and harm with integrity and compassion.

I don't believe transformation asks us to forget what happened. I believe it asks us to tell a truer story—one that acknowledges the harm, embraces accountability, and leaves room for people, families, and institutions to become something new.