I am a mother, educator, innovator, and consultant. My first passion is volleyball which thanks to a teacher, exposed me to the sport and paved the way to success in college and professionally. Playing volleyball changed the trajectory of my life and helped me to develop my strengths of self-confidence, social awareness, discipline, and persistence. I also believe in the power of stories to help us empathize with others which led me to a career in the film industry at 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, CA. I bring these two passions to my work in education, where I taught for 15 years in elementary and middle schools in Chicago, IL and Denver, CO. I had the opportunity to support the CS4All program initiative in CPS in order to expose students to future careers in computer science. It is through a strengths-based approach we can empower all students to find their passion while nurturing their unique talents and interests. I believe that through education we can truly impact positive change in our society, as educators, if we cultivate the environment, we will create opportunities for all students.