I’ve been in higher education for 29 years now, teaching at both four-year universities and community colleges across the United States. I started my career at my alma mater, James Madison University, and then taught at Wake Forest University, where I earned my Master’s in Communication in 1998 and Master’s of Divinity degree in 2007. At this time, I made the switch to teaching at community colleges in the Seattle area before coming to California in 2014. Throughout the years, I’ve led college ministry work, and with my post-master’s certificate in nonprofit management, I’ve also supported many faith-based nonprofits, working with low-income individuals and helping them to achieve self-sufficiency.
My ministry and nonprofit work inspired me to start the Women’s Mentoring and Leadership Academy (WMLA) at Skyline College, where I now work. The program started as an intervention strategy for disproportionately impacted female-identifying students who were not persisting to second year or who were struggling academically. When I started the program, I realized that some of these students were single mothers, which really hit home for me as I was raised by a single mom. Through my research and first-hand experience, I knew that there are a lot of challenges that student mothers face outside of school that interfere with their academic goals. I wanted to put some systems in place to help support these women so that they could matriculate and either transfer to a four-year university or graduate with a career or technical certificate.
In fact, one of my former students and WMLA mentees was a WANDA Mom. When she graduated from the program, she invited me to be her guest at WANDA’s graduation celebration last summer. It was a beautiful event, and I got to meet WANDA’s Director of Programs Jennifer Advani, who was able to tell me more about the program. This is what led me to join WANDA as a Board member—it was the perfect opportunity for me.
Having a single mom who was a teenager herself, life looked a lot different than my life right now, and it was difficult for us. For me, it’s so important to be involved and to be able to pay it forward. My involvement with WANDA is an opportunity for me to pay it forward and to engage more with my local community here on the Peninsula.
As a new member of the Board, I’m joining the program committee. Because of the work I do with WMLA, I’m hoping to contribute ideas that will help with recruitment, program persistence, and community building. I’m really excited to be more engaged in the community that I work and live in! While I’ll continue connecting students from campus and my programs to WANDA, this opportunity will also allow me to learn and grow by exploring other resources in our community that support single moms facing challenges. I can already tell my service here will bring me a lot of joy.
When I’m not at Skyline College or writing my dissertation for my PhD in Higher Education Leadership, you can find me immersed in a good book or film, traveling to places on my bucket list, or simply going back home to North Carolina to spend time with my family and friends.