How Do Your Background, Areas of Expertise, and Interests Serve LDA’s Mission?
For 11 years, I was vice president for marketing and communications at Landmark College, the premier college for students with learning disabilities and attention challenges. During that time, I was surrounded by experts in the field of LD and was immersed in teaching and learning strategies for students. My role required a deep understanding of LD terminology and strategic tools for students. In this role, I was also regularly supervising student workers and interns; as a result, I was learning more and more about how the challenges of having an LD carry over into the workplace, and gaining skills and strategies for being a manager who could help student employees achieve their best. Being part of such an important mission is itself motivating, but in my second or third year at Landmark, my son was diagnosed with ADHD. The knowledge I had been gaining was now practical in my everyday life!
Can You Highlight Your Credentials?
I have been part of many panel discussions and podcast interviews about learning disabilities, including the Heinemann blog podcast “Strengths-Focused Education for Neurodiverse Students,” with my Landmark College colleague Rebecca Matte; a panel discussion at the 2023 Disability Matters conference called “Neurodiversity + Burnout”; and I served on the steering committee of Landmark College’s Center for Neurodiversity when it was launched in 2018. My professional background is in journalism and public relations. I have a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northeastern University and have worked as an editor, public relations consultant, and marketing professional. I have also taken courses within Landmark College’s Professional Certificate in Learning Differences in Neurodiversity.
How Long Have You Been Involved with LDA?
I joined the Board of Directors in 2023. Prior to that, I was aware of many colleagues’ involvement with LDA, and helped to promote their presentations and service to LDA.
Why Are You Passionate About Serving LDA?
Learning disabilities are among the most misunderstood disabilities. Too many students – and adults! – have been told to “just focus,” “study harder,” or “be more motivated.” Understanding the workings of executive function, its inhibitors, and how an LD affects an individual’s learning processes is both fascinating and enlightening. I’ve met far too many smart, successful, hardworking individuals with an LD to have a “deficit mindset” about such. I’m motivated by family and friends who work through their own disabilities, by the work of colleagues in the field, and even by my own growth as a professional, as I continue to learn how executive function functions in each of us.
