Fostering rich, authentic learning experiences and cultivating life-long learners are my passions as an educator. Currently, I am working as the Director of Advanced Academics in Alvin ISD; furthermore, I have worked with gifted students for the past 15 years in the southeastern region of Texas. In May of 2021, I earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Houston Clear Lake. I love learning and I am constantly seeking to broaden my knowledge base while building my toolkit with resources. I am passionate about gifted education and strive to provide experiences for students that foster independent, self-directed, dynamic, and creative thinking; and to build capacity in educators so they can provide gifted education with excellence in mind in all they do. Moreover, my drive within gifted education is centered around broadening pedagogical perspectives for educators in efforts to help find gifted potential in more students and to help educators cultivate students to maximize their powers so the students can grow to be effective workers, citizens, and leaders.