I believe that the personal is political, and everyone’s education can be transformed into some form of creative expression that promotes social awareness and change.  Throughout the world, silencing and invisibility has played an essential role in the patriarchal control of women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, and others. Whether out of fear or ignorance, many truths have gone unspoken, many injustices have gone unrecorded, and many lives have passed unnoticed.  The purpose of education is to give people the tools to cut the ties of fear and ignorance that bind them to the yoke of delusion, limitation, and suffering.  Education saves lives!

My Women’s Studies education  provided me with an inclusive, multi-cultural, multi-dimensional experience - an education which promoted respect for all persons.  I experienced first-hand that classrooms can be safe, nurturing environments in which a student’s hopes and dreams can thrive - where personal vision and experience are as valuable as theoretical analysis and discourse. 

In order for my students to move beyond discriminatory stereotypes that they have internalized, and perform tasks at levels appropriate to their goals, it is essential that I create a safe learning environment, use a participatory teaching methodology, and put them at the center of their learning experience.  Since 2002, I have worked closely with an extremely diverse clientele, many of whom are English Language Learners and/or students challenged with learning differences.  As a result, I address the needs of each individual client with sensitivity, patience, understanding, and compassion, regardless of their identity, circumstance, or ability.