I met my husband while we were in our teaching credential program in 2008. We instantly clicked and built a beautiful life, getting married in 2013 and welcoming our amazing son in 2014. Life was good. We both taught at the same school and enjoyed spending time as a family. During the pandemic, things began to change. Being together constantly and feeling cut off from my students and job-- which I had taken as a core characteristic-- sent me into a tough bout with depression. At the same time, my husband sought support from a female colleague. Eventually the rift between us got too big and we divorced. Everything I had worked for, all that we had built changed overnight. The most challenging part was not learning how to support a household on one income, nor was it taking on all the responsibilities of the household on my own. It was learning to be without my son who, prior to the divorce, I'd not been away from for more that 24 hours in his whole life. The adjustment was excruciating. Over the last three years, I've learned to stand on my own two feet. While finances are tight, I've learned to make concessions where necessary to make sure my son never feels the impact of his dad's and my choices. I love how he looks at me in admiration as I tackle chores and make experiences possible for him. I've learned to make the mundane memorable and to soak in every precious moment with my son, which has also taught me to value my time, in general. While I didn't see it at the time, my divorce forced me to emerge stronger and more grateful than ever. It inspired me to be my best, most favorite version of myself. I have since earned my Administrative Services Credential and am returning to school to complete my Master's in Emancipatory Leadership. I waited to work on my Master's because I wanted my work to be more than theoretical. I wanted it rooted in experiences. This program is more than a generic Masters in Education-- it is meaningful to the work I do as a continuation high school English teacher and advisor. I look forward to connecting with like-minded educators who are passionate about social justice, equity, and creating a system that supports and challenges all students and families. The program, while completely online, will center me with my community: educators trying to be better, sharing ideas that help each of us make the impacts on our respective communities that are near and dear to our hearts. My marriage ending was actually the start of my rebirth. I found my strength, and with that reignited my passion for working with historically marginalized and underserved populations. I proved to myself that I am capable of more than the status quo, and I strive to support others as they do the same. I am worth the time, effort, and money it takes to grow and make my mark; moreover, my community is worth all of what I'm doing, because I refuse to let the growth and empowerment stop with me. I will continue to pay it forward.

After sixteen years of teaching in public high schools, I’m returning to school to pursue a Master’s in Emancipatory Leadership. I intentionally waited to pursue my Master's because I wanted my learning to be grounded in lived experience—shaped by my time working with students, families, and educators across various settings. This program is not a generic Master’s in Education. It aligns directly with the work I do as a continuation high school English teacher and advisor, serving students who have historically been marginalized and underserved. My students often arrive with years of interrupted learning, negative experiences in school, and significant trauma. Through this program, I’ll deepen my understanding of how systems operate—and how to work collectively to change them. In my classroom, I help students find, refine, and understand the power of their voices. I teach English Language Arts to students with diverse learning profiles, cultural backgrounds, and academic experiences. I use literature to help them connect with other perspectives while also recognizing themselves in the stories we read. My goals for students go beyond academic success: I want them to develop critical thinking, effective communication, and a strong sense of self within a global context. While our student populations have evolved, the education system has been slow to change. We continue to rely on outdated structures that don’t reflect the needs of today’s learners. Through the Emancipatory Leadership program, I’ll gain tools to critically assess existing systems and co-create meaningful, sustainable solutions that center students and families. After earning my degree, I plan to take on a leadership role focused on building and maintaining inclusive schoolwide systems—particularly Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and equitable discipline plans. These plans will be developed in collaboration with all stakeholders and revisited regularly to ensure they meet the changing needs of our school community. I believe leadership is about trust, listening, and evolving with purpose. One of my long-term goals is to support and mentor pre-service teachers. As an adjunct professor, I hope to share both research and practice around restorative discipline, MTSS, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Too often, new educators enter the classroom with little training in how systems affect student outcomes. I want to prepare future teachers to lead with empathy, insight, and action. As a first-generation college graduate and single mother, I know what it means to navigate institutions that were not built for me. This Master’s degree is more than a professional step—it’s a personal commitment to building a more just and responsive education system. It affirms my belief that schools can be places of transformation and healing, especially when led with a focus on students' humanity. Over the years, I’ve learned that teaching is about relationships, not just content. It’s about creating spaces where students are seen and supported. That same philosophy guides my leadership approach: centering community, challenging inequity, and building systems that work for everyone. I’m honored to be considered for this scholarship. With your support, I’ll continue advocating for students and building a future where every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

After sixteen years of teaching in public high schools, I’m returning to school to pursue a Master’s in Emancipatory Leadership. I intentionally waited to pursue my Master's because I wanted my learning to be grounded in lived experience—shaped by my time working with students, families, and educators across various settings. This program is not a generic Master’s in Education. It aligns directly with the work I do as a continuation high school English teacher and advisor, serving students who have historically been marginalized and underserved. My students often arrive with years of interrupted learning, negative experiences in school, and significant trauma. Through this program, I’ll deepen my understanding of how systems operate—and how to work collectively to change them. In my classroom, I help students find, refine, and understand the power of their voices. I teach English Language Arts to students with diverse learning profiles, cultural backgrounds, and academic experiences. I use literature to help them connect with other perspectives while also recognizing themselves in the stories we read. My goals for students go beyond academic success: I want them to develop critical thinking, effective communication, and a strong sense of self within a global context. While our student populations have evolved, the education system has been slow to change. We continue to rely on outdated structures that don’t reflect the needs of today’s learners. Through the Emancipatory Leadership program, I’ll gain tools to critically assess existing systems and co-create meaningful, sustainable solutions that center students and families. After earning my degree, I plan to take on a leadership role focused on building and maintaining inclusive schoolwide systems—particularly Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and equitable discipline plans. These plans will be developed in collaboration with all stakeholders and revisited regularly to ensure they meet the changing needs of our school community. I believe leadership is about trust, listening, and evolving with purpose. One of my long-term goals is to support and mentor pre-service teachers. As an adjunct professor, I hope to share both research and practice around restorative discipline, MTSS, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Too often, new educators enter the classroom with little training in how systems affect student outcomes. I want to prepare future teachers to lead with empathy, insight, and action. As a first-generation college graduate, I know what it means to navigate institutions that were not built for me. This Master’s degree is more than a professional step—it’s a personal commitment to building a more just and responsive education system. It affirms my belief that schools can be places of transformation and healing, especially when led by those who center students' humanity. Over the years, I’ve learned that teaching is about relationships, not just content. It’s about creating spaces where students are seen and supported. That same philosophy guides my leadership approach: centering community, challenging inequity, and building systems that work for everyone. I’m honored to be considered for this scholarship. With your support, I’ll continue advocating for students and building a future where every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

I completed my undergraduate degree and California Teaching Credential at San José State University in 2007 and 2009, respectively. After sixteen years of teaching in public high schools, I am now returning to SJSU to pursue a Master's degree in Emancipatory Leadership. This decision is not only a continuation of my academic journey, but a natural progression of my professional growth and commitment to educational equity. I intentionally waited to pursue my Master's because I wanted my graduate work to be rooted in experience, not just theory. I wanted it to reflect the real challenges and opportunities I have encountered over the years with students, families, and colleagues in public education. This program, with its foundation in Emancipatory Leadership, is not a generic Master’s in Education. It is a deeply meaningful and relevant pathway for the work I currently do and aspire to continue doing. As a continuation high school English teacher and advisor, I serve students who have historically been marginalized and underserved by the education system. These students often arrive in my classroom carrying with them years of educational neglect, punitive discipline practices, and a general sense of alienation from school culture. This program resonates with my lived reality as an educator and will help me grow into a leader who can not only advocate for these students but also help transform the structures that have failed them. In my classroom, my focus has always been on helping students find, refine, and understand the power of their voice. English language arts is an inherently human subject—it is about stories, identity, connection, and expression. I work with students of vastly different academic proficiencies, linguistic backgrounds, and life experiences. Some are avid readers, while others have not picked up a book in years. Some are fluent English speakers, while others are still developing literacy in a second or even third language. Despite these differences, literature becomes our common ground. I share texts that offer mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors—helping students see themselves, understand others, and move through new perspectives with empathy and curiosity. My guiding goals as an educator are for my students to develop critical thinking skills, effective communication abilities, and a strong sense of self in a global and local context. These goals inform every unit I design, every assignment I give, and every conversation I have with my students. Whether we are analyzing the complexities of a poem, engaging in a Socratic seminar about justice, or writing personal narratives about identity, the work is always aimed at nurturing thoughtful, empowered individuals. I believe deeply that students who understand their voice and value their identity are more likely to engage with their communities in meaningful and transformative ways. While our student populations have shifted significantly over the years—becoming more diverse in language, culture, experience, and need—our educational systems have been slow to evolve. We continue to rely on outdated models of instruction, discipline, and leadership that do not reflect the lived realities of our students or the values of a just society. The Emancipatory Leadership program at SJSU offers a way to change that. It emphasizes critical inquiry, community-centered leadership, and a commitment to social justice. These are not abstract concepts to me—they are practical, urgent, and necessary. Once I complete this program, I will be equipped not only with knowledge and research but with a strengthened ability to lead from a place of integrity and impact. I envision myself taking a more active leadership role within my school and district—collaborating with stakeholders to assess the current systems in place, identify goals rooted in equity and access, and co-create holistic, intentional plans to support students and families. These plans will not be static or top-down. They will be flexible, iterative, and grounded in the real needs of our school communities. They will be driven by questions like: Who is this system working for? Who is being left out? How can we design better? One of my primary goals is to be instrumental in the development and continual refinement of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and schoolwide discipline plans that reflect the voices and needs of our students and families. As an educational leader, I will ensure these frameworks are not just compliance documents but living systems of support that evolve with our students. This includes working collaboratively with school staff, mental health professionals, families, and community organizations to ensure we are addressing the academic, emotional, and social needs of every student—especially those who have historically been underserved. I am also passionate about helping shape the future of the teaching profession. One of my long-term career goals is to work with pre-service teaching credential candidates as an adjunct professor. I want to prepare new educators not just to survive in the classroom, but to thrive, lead, and innovate. I will share research on school climate, restorative practices, and equitable discipline policies, but also speak from lived experience about what it means to teach with compassion, cultural humility, and high expectations. So many teacher prep programs focus heavily on classroom management and curriculum without helping future educators understand the deep systemic issues that affect their students’ lives and learning. I want to be a voice in that space, offering tools and perspective that will allow the next generation of educators to lead with clarity and care. My return to graduate school is also deeply personal. As a first-generation college graduate, I understand the importance of access, representation, and mentorship in higher education. I know what it means to navigate systems that were not built for people like me or my students. Earning this Master’s degree is not just a professional milestone; it is a statement of commitment—to my students, to my colleagues, to my community, and to myself. It is a declaration that education can be liberating, that leadership can be shared, and that schools can be spaces of healing and growth. Over the last sixteen years, I have learned that teaching is as much about relationships as it is about content. It’s about seeing students as whole people, honoring their journeys, and creating spaces where they feel safe enough to take risks and dream bigger. I bring that same mindset to leadership. Leading, to me, means listening deeply, holding complexity, and building trust. It means challenging the status quo not for the sake of change, but for the sake of justice. The Emancipatory Leadership program at SJSU offers the tools, community, and critical framework I need to take the next step in my career. With this degree, I will be positioned to expand my impact beyond the classroom—to shape policies, mentor new teachers, and help transform our schools into places where all students are seen, supported, and celebrated. I am honored to be considered for this scholarship, and I am committed to using the opportunities it provides to continue advocating for and alongside the students and communities I serve.

I completed my undergrad and CA Teaching credential with San Jose State in 2007 and 2009, respectively. After 16 years as a high school teacher, I am returning to SJSU to earn my Master's in Emancipatory Leadership. I waited to work on my Master's because I wanted my work to be more than theoretical. I wanted it rooted in lived experiences. The program is more than a generic Master's in Education-- it is meaningful to the work I do as a continuation high school English teacher and advisor to students who have been historically marginalized and underserved. As an English teacher, I help my students find, refine, and understand the power in their voice. Working with students of vastly different proficiencies, I love sharing literature with them that helps them see other perspectives while broadening their own, as well as finding ways to help them see themselves reflected in literature. My guiding goals in all that I teach are for students to develop critical thinking skills, effective communication skills, and a sense of self in a global context. With these aims at the forefront, each text and experience becomes a tool for learning. I was inspired to teach by two of my own teachers in high school, both of whom I have been fortunate enough to keep in touch with. My high school English teacher is now a dear friend and colleague of mine. She made English exciting and showed us how expression and analysis were important tools. Even the mundane tasks like MLA format were taught with care and justifications as to how small details would make a difference. She is who impressed upon me that teaching is both an art and a science. The pedagogy is rooted in science and how our students learn, but the art is the relationships that inspire relevance for students. My high school Trigonometry teacher also inspired me to teach. I was an apathetic student when it came to math, believing that I was intrinsically bad at it. Despite my resistance, he never even hinted at giving up on me. From including my name in word problems on exams to sitting with me to work out problems step-by-step without the slightest ounce of impatience, he showed me what dedication meant. From him I learned to show up for my students-- even when it seems like they aren't showing up for themselves-- and letting them know that I'll be there when they're ready. I have worked with amazing educators over the last 16 years. I am proud to be able to work for the same district that I graduated from, alongside the teachers who helped raise me. I am excited to expand my own learning and opportunities by continuing my education at the same university that set me on my teaching journey. I am honored to be part of such supportive communities which have bolstered me, and I have the opportunity to do meaningful work in now.

My son has seen me grow in independence and confidence since his dad and I divorced. He sees me manage all of our household needs, take care of finances, and still create opportunities for new experiences. I decided to finish my School Administrator Credential so that I could take more opportunities to help students and families in my career. Attending synchronous classes allowed me to take care of my obligations to my son, while still accomplishing my goal. It wasn't easy tending to Zoom classes while driving my son to practice; nor was it easy completing assignments on top of working a full-time teaching job and tending to my son, but we made it work. One of my favorite moments was when my son reminded me that we both had homework to do after school. We sat side-by-side at the kitchen table working on our respective assignments. Then, realizing that dinnertime was quickly approaching, he looked at me and told me he was going to make dinner because I still needed to spend time on my schoolwork. My sweet 10-year old made us PB&J sandwiches and apple slices-- his specialty-- to ensure that I focused. I've always emphasized the importance of education and doing our best; being able to show my son that I, too, study seriously clearly left an impression on him. Based on how he's seen me support him, he showed that he also finds school important by supporting me. It is one of my proudest moments as a mom. Balancing motherhood with my career and studies has been tough. It has meant many late nights reading and writing papers between folding laundry, washing dishes, making lunches, and bedtime routines. The mom guilt has weighed on me, as I have rushed my son through nighttime snuggles and reading so that I can get to my schoolwork. It has meant showing up in the nick of time, but ensuring that I showed up, for band performances, back-to-school nights, and science fairs because I had group meetings for projects, when I wanted to be there to soothe my son's worries or remind him that I was proud of him ahead of his big moment. I know I'm setting a good example for my son. I know that opening doors to moving beyond the sphere of influence of my classroom is good for my students, and ultimately, my son, but in some ways, I feel like I've short-changed them all by pursuing my advanced degree. Since completing my School Administrator Credential, I have only 3 semesters left before I will hold my Master's in Emancipatory School Leadership. While I've explained the emotional and time costs of returning to school, I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge a huge obstacle I've had to navigate: finances. In my divorce, I didn't fight against any of my ex-husband's requests. I decided that keeping the peace for my son's sake was an expensive, but worthwhile price to pay; therefore, I pay my ex a hefty yearly sum. I pick up stipended positions and cut costs at every chance to pay for day-to-day life and my tuition. Motherhood as a student has meant extra sacrifices from me and my son, but I'm confident we will both be better for this experience.

As a single mother, success looks like being able to provide a life for my son where he can see and experience different facets and places in the world. Being first generation, my parents did the best they could to afford me a comfortable life with as many opportunities as possible, despite lacking formal education beyond high school. Now that I'm an established teacher, getting my Master's would not only fulfill my parents dreams for me, but would be an opportunity to show my son the power of hard work and education. I am already the first in my family to have a college degree. To take it a step further and have an advanced degree, substantiates the work done by my family to get me where they did, as well as validates my work in creating the life for myself and my son that I have. I also hope that it inspires not only my son, but also my students to work towards whatever goals they have, knowing that there are options for success in the face of difficulties. With a Master's in Emancipatory School Leadership, I would not only be able to apply my knowledge of best practices to my everyday lessons and classroom routines, but I could actually apply for new positions within education to help facilitate even greater change that extends beyond the students on my roster. Having moved from teaching at a comprehensive high school to alternative education, I have seen the ways that students' obstacles have impeded on their education. I would love the change to further my knowledge of school leadership so that I can share my experiences and passion for working with re-engaging teens in meaningful education within a larger system. Having my Master's would open doors to roles in the my district office, county office, and consulting. In the world I want to show my son, I want him to see the importance of thinking beyond ourselves and working for the good of our broader communities; it's not enough to just achieve personal goals-- success is about sharing with others. Continuing my education helps me to not just talk about being a good citizen, but to share the endeavor of working for the greater good. I want better for my son than what I had growing up. I want to be a better educator for my students than I had growing up. I want to help make the world better than it is. If I am able to finish my degree, I will surely be on my way to accomplishing my goals. Being a full-time teacher to students with unique challenges and promises is incredibly rewarding, but takes a great deal of patience and fortitude. Similarly, being a single mother is the greatest joy of my life, but requires immeasurable intentionality and sacrifice. I take pride in what I do every single day, but I know I can still do better. Perhaps that is the true definition of success: being confident and proud of what I've done, but still looking for how to improve.