My teaching philosophy prioritizes facilitating an engaging environment so that my students will aspire to be lifelong learners in civic participation! The classroom experience is a partnership of support to success, and I support my students in their learning journey. My personal background aligns with the St. Petersburg College mission: I was an Air Force brat who grew up watching my father work through night classes at our local community colleges to earn his education and go on to earn a post-graduate degree and serve his nation and community. He is the first in our family to earn a college degree. Community colleges are pillars in our community— they are the shining model for equal access in education and economic opportunity and mobility. My professional background includes experience with legislation, appropriations, budget and constituent relations with the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.; managing and fundraising for congressional campaigns; and grantwriting and policy research for a non-profit. My educational background includes a Master of Arts in Political Science with a Comparative Politics concentration from American University in Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor of Arts in both Political Science and Spanish from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. I also have M.Ed Higher Education course work from the University of South Florida. My interests, outside of the classroom, include felines, runcations (combining my affinity for running and traveling), being an AvGeek, reading biographies and true crime, and being an urbanist.