I grew up in Brooklyn, NY with my mom, stepdad, and three younger sisters. My parents instilled in me a need to serve my community and to be a part of a collective change for the better. As a family, we often volunteered time in our local community center by preparing meals or organizing for community leaders. My parents even encouraged me to join the Boy Scouts to get a better understanding of the needs and inequities in our larger Brooklyn community.

This sense of service has guided my personal and professional life in every aspect, from social justice clubs and organizations in high school and college, to becoming an educator and volunteering for local and state political candidates. I THINK IF I CAN POINT TO JUST ONE THING I LEARNED FROM MY PARENTS THAT ECHOES THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, IT’S TO LEAVE THINGS BETTER THAN YOU FOUND THEM—INCLUDING THE WORLD.

FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, I WAS AN EDUCATOR. It was my responsibility to make sure my sisters completed and corrected their homework each night. This encouraged me to become a tutor in school and then a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing after graduate school.

Since college, I’ve been a teacher and leader in my field, overseeing a small elementary school program for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. I am now an Assistant Principal at a special education high school for students with mild to severe physical and cognitive disabilities. My favorite part is the relationships I make with the students and the parents over the course of their time at our school (and even after!).

A DAY ON THE WATER

NYC VIEWS

WHAT MAKES ME TICK

I GREW UP SPLITTING MY TIME BETWEEN NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK WITH MY MOM, DAD, AND THREE BROTHERS AND MY PARENTS’ COUNTRY OF MALTA. The two places couldn’t be more different, and that difference helped to shape who I am today.

NYC was a fast-paced, diverse, mosaic of so many communities and cultures. Growing up here instilled a deep sense of care and curiosity in those who had different experiences than me. Malta, on the other hand, was a slow-paced place where everyone knew each other or was related in some way or another (at least in my family’s village). It was a place where my siblings and bigger cousins took care of me and I did the same for my younger family members. Spending time there helped grow my strong family values and desire to form my own family now. THE BUBBLY, TENDER, LOVING PERSON I’VE GROWN INTO IS A TESTAMENT TO THE CONTRAST AND CONTRADICTIONS OF THOSE TWO PLACES.

I LOVE WHAT I DO!

FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, I’VE BEEN WRITING K-12 CIVICS, HISTORY, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISM CURRICULA FOR THE 1.1 MILLION STUDENTS IN THE NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. I also get to work with and support teachers and school leaders to build stronger practices in classrooms and communities. Prior to that, I taught in high school humanities classrooms for about 6 years. It’s been so gratifying to see so many of my former students excel in college and go on to become educators themselves.

COSTUME DAY AT SCHOOL

WHAT MAKES ME TICK