Hometown
Saukville, WI
Undergraduate education
Education, Social Studies (Major) & English (Minor), University of Minnesota – Morris
Employer
Escuela Verde High School, Milwaukee, WI
Job title
Collaborative Leader
What is your current role?
School leader for an independent charter high school
Were there specific experiences and skills that helped you get your job?
Being grounded in our school’s mission, vision, and culture and the desire to share it with others. I’ve also demonstrated an ability to be fair, consistent, and supportive of both staff and students as well as being present as a community member in our city and neighborhood.
What are your career aspirations?
I always seek to be wherever I can be most useful to others.
How are you using what you learned in the Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation Program (WIPP) on the job?
I am applying many concepts and skills from WIPP every day, especially surrounding teacher coaching and collaborating with community members. I feel that I can “talk the talk” in a new way and have a broader view of education compared to my more zoomed-in teacher view.
What experiences shaped your decision to pursue a master’s degree in educational leadership?
I took on an informal leadership role at my school during the COVID-19 pandemic and realized I had the capacity to lead, and that others were looking to me for leadership.
What attracted you to the WIPP? Did you consider anywhere else?
The flexibility and the overall timeline were very appealing. I applied to another program because the cost was less, but the program took longer and seemed less valuable in the long run.
What was your most rewarding experience at the WIPP?
Applying what I learned in my school setting before finishing the program!
What was your most challenging experience at the WIPP?
Balancing work, school, and life!
Why would you recommend the WIPP to a prospective student?
Overall, I feel prepared for my position and grateful for the strong background in educational leadership I’ve developed.
Are you involved in any volunteer activities?
I serve on the Board of the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory and am a community advisory committee member for the Urban Ecology Center and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District.
If any WIPP alumni, faculty members, or friends have helped you with your career path, who was it and how did he or she assist?
My former colleague Cynthia Gonzalez inspired me to pursue this program and leadership in general.
People would be surprised to know that I …
I bike to work most days!