½ûÂþÌìÌÃ

Vice Principal

Profile
What's not to like? Reconnection Center students are amazing. Many students did not find connection and support in schools they attended in the past. At the Reconnection Center we help students restore hope, reimagine themselves, and reconnect to their educational goals.

What I do for Fun
RIDE MY BIKE! Spend time with family and friends

School Social Worker

I love being able to get the opportunity to truly connect with students, get to know them and work together around not only their education but building skills and engaging in self-discovery that helps them in all facets of their life. At the core in my work, I try to connect with students (and their families) and understand how they see themselves, not just in school but in the world. My work is rooted in seeing the individual as a whole person, not just a student. Our work is about self-discovery, gaining and strengthening skills and building hope and confidence that spills over into all facets of the students life, not just in school.

What I do for Fun
Cook, play with my 5 year old son, make wood burning art, ride my bike, watch sports - especially college football/basketball.

Counselor

As I write this, raindrops slide along the glass, obscuring my view to the outside. During my walk to work, though, I'd noticed the beauty of the trees, the scent of damp grass, and the sound of little birds that worked hard to hide from me. (Fortunately for me, their tiny voices betrayed them.) For many students, the world around them is obscured by rain and so many other more significant challenges. Much as a towel to the window or a step outside can reveal what surrounds us, with my work I hope to help students discover the possibilities that await them with a bit of hard work and commitment.

My dad taught social studies for 40 years. I spent much of my childhood waiting for him to finish his grading or his meetings so he could drive me and my 5 siblings home after school. During the time we were waiting, I got to know the custodians, cafeteria workers, librarians, teachers, secretaries, and the many other professionals who support students and staff. I concluded that the best job in schools was serving as a counselor. Working on solutions with students and helping them achieve their goals seemed a worthy occupation. I then earned a double major in Psychology and Political Science (with a minor in Religion) at Willamette University in Salem. I later earned a Master's Degree in School Counseling from Lewis & Clark College here in Portland. And in the almost 30 years since, my entire career has been serving as a counselor in Portland, Oregon City, and Clackamas schools.

What I do for Fun

Overwhelmed by digital technology during the peak of Covid-19, my lifelong fascination with mechanical things led me to purchase 100-year old typewriters that I repair. Typewriters force writers to be deliberate in their thinking and choose their words carefully. That's a quality I try to use in my everyday life.

Teacher - Math

I enjoy the luxury of being able to work with each student as an individual learner. In addition, our program allows students to work at their own pace, which I feel is particularly important in math.

Teacher - Language Arts

I feel honored and blessed to have worked in alternative education for over 18 years in the David Douglas and Portland Public School districts. Having grown up in a family experiencing generational poverty, addiction, and trauma, education was my ticket to a new path, a different future. I deeply believe in the power of education and take that responsiblity seriously as Kevin M. Derrig poignantly points out in his poem "First Period": "...the hand you grab those red pens with / the voices you speak with / are oversized chisels / and you must proceed to teach with caution / for what you say and what you do is written in stone / and if you chisel too hard these minds can crack...". I believe education is at its best when teachers are students and students are teachers; when we are curious collaborators who honor and appreciate our unqiue identities and the wondrous depths of our minds. 

I earned my BS in Secondary Educaiton from University of Portland in 2004 and started my teaching carrer at Fir Ridge Campus, the alternative high school for the David Douglas School District, where I taught for 15 years. In 2012, I completed my M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction from Lewis and Clark College, as well as Documentary Studies certificate. I joined the Reconnection Center and ½ûÂþÌìÌà in 2022.

What I do for Fun

I love to travel and play sports. I enjoy art quite a bit, but specifically film, photography, and writing. I greatly enjoy a stimulating conversation and wit.