Tell us about yourself!

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Educational Studies in 2009, which was 30 years after I graduated from high school. I earned my master’s degree in 2013 in Special Education and my Ed.D. in 2018, also in Special Education. The reason why I share this is because I want others to know it is never too late to follow your dreams. 

What’s a fun fact about you?

The best vacation I ever took was a three-week motorcycle trip from Florida to Nova Scotia. Yes, I owned a motorcycle and drove it the entire trip. We had no hotel reservations but a destination of Nova Scotia. Having no set plans and the open roads provided us with the best way to travel. We entered Canada through upstate NY. We rode into Ontario, Montreal, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. We rode on ferries and through a lot of mountains.

Why did you become a member of LDA?

As a child, I struggled with undiagnosed learning disabilities (that still haunt me today). At the time, there were little to no resources, and my parents were told that there was nothing wrong with me, that I was just lazy. At the time, nobody discovered my processing deficits and lack of decoding knowledge, which made reading extremely challenging. Since returning to college and earning my degrees, I learned that I do have a learning disability. I have learned how to overcompensate for my learning disabilities. It is my desire to help others learn how to overcome their learning disabilities and reach their full potential.