I am…
A wife, aunt, and mom of an erergetic infant who makes the best meme faces. When she can finally ask
for a puppy, the answer will propably be, “YES!”
A Brooklynite who loves walking by the water and warm weather.
A passionate counselor-author who loves creating Advisory and SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) resources to engage teens and young adults and support educators.
How I got Started…
Fresh out of school, I was young and eager to SAVE THE WORLD! I was really excited; I had just landed the first job of my career as a Counselor working for a non-profit organization based in a school. This is going to be ammmmazzzzzing!
Along with a full caseload of students I was given a new assignment. The conversation went something like this…
The Bosses (Don’t forget, I have two – the school and the non-profit organization): We want you to lead several life-skills groups. Here is the paperwork so we don’t get sued.
Me: Are there any lessons or activities you would like me to use?
The Bosses: No. We have had this group running for several years, but we don’t have anything written down.
Me: Is there money for supplies or resources?
The Bosses: No. Make it happen. Good luck!
Sound familiar? Barely enough time to address the workload I have, I was now adding a new program to my responsibilities. This would not be the last time I had this conversation in my career, sometimes without even the
“don’t sue us forms.”
I started to put together a program, researching and reading through all the books I could get my hands on. “What 
about the internet,” you may ask? Well, that didn’t exist yet. All that I could find were role plays about conflicts with Bobby, the star of the football team, and Suzy, the spunky cheerleader in the country.
Ummm, I don’t think this will work. Our students won’t relate to this, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE DON’T EVEN HAVE A FOOTBALL TEAM (This was in a major city, where there is limited space and very few sports teams)! The materials were scarce and definitely not suited for inner-city youth of color. This is how my journey began.
I started compiling information and activities, (some may call this hoarding, but I just call it building resources) and for nearly two decades, I’ve positively impacted inner-city youth of color. Through research, pilot testing, and successful implementation of these activities and programs, I’ve used the what I’ve learned to inform best practices in engaging, guiding, and supporting multicultural urban youth in making informed decisions about their lives.
Experience
As I spend more time in this field my experience continues to grow, so does the list of my experiences you get to read.
If you have worked in a school or a non-profit agency you know that you are not just limited to your title, but end up wearing many hats. My breathe of experience definitely reflects that.
I’ve worked with students in individual counseling and group counseling, as well as conducted home visits.Taught classes, written IEPs, conducted mediations, and guidance.
I have specialized in counseling gang members, court involved youth, teen moms, and engaging GLBTQ youth.
I have worked with educators on program, staff fiscal, and organizational development.
I spent the first part of my career working in public, charter, and private schools. I sat in hundreds of hours of professional development and staff trainings where I learned: how to write lesson plans, best practices for classroom management, and school development. I also learn what not to do when providing staff professional development trainings.
That’s why it is really important when I began facilitating Professional Development trainings to provide relevant interactive trainings that model best practices and engaging modalities which can be brought into the classroom. (I never wanted people to think “I want that two hours of my life back”).
I designed and established numerous school-wide programs. This includes: behavior modification, counseling, staff support teams, Advisory/ Family Group Programs (These are life-skills programs for all students which includes everything from basic appropriate behaviors in the classroom, bullying prevention, through college and work readiness).
I found that through this that creating Advisory and SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) resources are where my heart is.
I wanted to be able to share all of this experience and knowledge with you!
Thank you for taking your time to learn about me . Feel free to message me. I am always excited to share ideas!