While my Curriculum Vitae provides a pretty comprehensive view of who I am and what I've done, there is, of course, more to me than just a list of my work experiences.

I was born in Red Bank, New Jersey and grew up next door in Tinton Falls. I graduated from Monmouth Regional High School where I was involved in a variety of activities, including serving as president of Students Against Drunk Driving, editor of the school's literary magazine, and goalkeeper for the varsity girls' soccer team. I worked part-time throughout high school and spent every summer in the Poconos as a camper then counselor at Camp Speers-Eljabar YMCA.

I started college at Boston University as an advertising major hoping to work for the Ad Council. I later learned that those who make those fantastic non-profit ads don't actually work at the Ad Council and rather at for-profit agencies doing pro bono work. So, I changed my major to Education, later transferring to Brown University to focus on Multicultural Education. My interest in multicultural issues was particularly inspired by my experiences as a Big Sister for a 6 year-old Pakistani immigrant, and a research project I did on the efficacy of two-way bilingual programs for kindergarteners. During the year in between schools, I interned in the Immigrant Student Project at the National Coalition of Advocates for Students in Boston. While living in Boston, I also gave the Make Way for Ducklings tours of the Boston State House and surrounding area for elementary school students.

The first time I lived in Providence, while a student at Brown, I helped to found the Providence Poetry Slam at AS220 and started the weekly Spoken Word poetry series that lasted after my four-year leadership another ten years. After moving away from Providence, I enrolled at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work in West Hartford where I majored in Community Organization and minored in Group Work. While at the school, I started the Student Support program, providing individual and group tutoring services for my fellow students, including those referred to me by the Department of Disability Services. This was my first experience working with adults as previously I had always worked with children and teenagers. I enjoyed it so much that I later developed and taught adult creative writing courses and internet safety workshops for parents.

In 2001, I moved back to Providence to work with the Met Schools and The Big Picture Company helping to run and create schools focused on educating one student at a time. Outside of my paid responsibilities, I found many opportunities to work with individual and groups of students as a mentor, book group facilitator and senior project advisor (see the photos on my Community Service page). I continue to be a mentor to many of the young women I knew while at The Met.

I have been working at Bryant part-time as a Writing Specialist for two years. I love working with the students on their writing and was very excited this year when I was offered a position working with faculty on their writing as well.

My husband, Gary, and I live on the East Side with my step-son Dylan.