I am drawn to Rivendell because I believe in the mission that students can achieve academic and personal excellence through an individualized approach. I am eager to contribute to the harmony of experiential and aesthetic education thereby encouraging students to discover their strengths, grow into confident individuals, and inculcate a lifelong love of learning.

I have spent the majority of my twenty-plus years developing as an educator through community programs, libraries, private studios, and public schools across the United States. Some of my favorite teaching moments have taken place in the galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art while giving tours to families and on the grounds of Storm King Art Center while guiding school groups through large-scale sculptures and earthworks. My dance training and love for ballet naturally lead me to begin teaching in dance studios. My passion for ballet lies at the intersection of precision and artistry and this has shaped the lens through which I observe most things.

I am thrilled and honored to join the preschool program at Rivendell because I consider it a privilege to be invited to impact students through play and discovery. Inspired by Maxine Greene, I believe that when we are free to cultivate imagination and have the confidence to pursue inquiries then we can truly inspire change in the world around us. Play, discovery, and developing imagination in preschool provide the groundwork for becoming lifelong learners and confident, contributing citizens of tomorrow. I also admire the Brazilian education philosopher Paulo Freire because he pioneered ideas such as students should become “active agents” in their own education and that teachers continue to learn from their students. "Whoever teaches learns in the act of teaching, and whoever learns teaches in the act of learning." ~ Paulo Freire