About me
Education is the experience of my life and becoming an educator began in my childhood as the daughter of two amazing educators who taught me the beauty of being a teacher. Taking an unusual path to special education, I have experience in elementary education, early childhood special education and early intervention, and education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Three years ago I became an Ambassador for the DEC Recommended practices and enjoy sharing information about the practices and associated resources from the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center with families, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers. Two years ago I began pursuing a doctorate degree at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville (UARK), a long time dream of mine. I began as a graduate assistant and then transitioned to be a Leaders for Transition scholar in an OSEP funded grant partnership between UARK and the University of Oklahoma that supports a total of 10 doctoral students focusing on improving transition for students with disabilities. As an early childhood specialist, my research interest focuses on empowering families and promoting self-determination in children with disabilities beginning early in life for improved post-secondary outcomes to promote a higher quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Early life experiences are increasingly recognized as the seeds for later outcomes. For this reason it is critical that we improve preparation of practitioners who will view their students through a lifespan lens. As the daughter of teachers, my early experiences included stories of classrooms, students, and school boards, stories that led me to a career in education. Early experiences infuse the fabric of our lives, both positive and negative experiences, and to improve educational outcomes educators and professionals must take a broader view with the end goal in mind, this is especially true for individuals with disabilities.