My Why

In 2018, I graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a Masters in Teacher Leadership. I centered my learning and professional growth around closing the student opportunity gap through building community using a culturally responsive teaching approach with my students. With the knowledge I gained and a Master’s degree, I was able to secure the position of Social Support Teacher. This position allowed me to leverage my skill set in creating a whole-school culturally responsive community. I was able to create and manage equitable leadership programs for students and their parents like the Aspiring Kids, Community Kids, and the Family and Community Engagement Committee. Additionally, I was able to help move our discipline protocol from punishment to Restorative Justice.
After two years of teaming with my building administrator, the school counselor, and other stakeholders, I grew professionally with stronger skill sets that centered on restorative justice practices, social and emotional reconciliations, and collaboration. In other words, I found my charism - the unique gift, or calling, of the Holy Spirit given to me by God. It’s the gift that I was responsible for to develop and share with my community. With this, I was able to make systemic changes that provided a response to the culture and families of my community.
At this point in my career, it is time to share my charism with other communities. However, I feel that in order to make meaningful, systemic changes in an historically inequitable society, I need to do it from within the institutional leadership that makes decisions that affect the relationships and interactions of a community. Obtaining my administration certificate and my doctoral degree in education, I will be able to be at the leadership table and be able to have a voice to influence systemic change towards diversity, equity, and inclusion for school and district communities.
Additionally, I feel it is my responsibility to model the value of obtaining an advanced degree as a person of color and especially a person of color in leadership. I have seen very few people of color in educational leadership. So much so, I created an Educator of Color committee built on creating our own leadership within my school district. It seemed like the only leadership afforded to educators of color were diversity roles. In a country built around freedom, we, as educators of color, still feel shackled to social constructs that keep the majority of us from upward mobilization in leadership. Being relegated to only diversity roles, this practice minimizes our roles in society. I believe this is an inequitable distribution of social power and resources in our communities. Obtaining my doctoral degree in education and taking on leadership roles, I hope to inspire other people of color to aspire to become leaders and they themselves become doctoral scholars.