Education
I started my career thinking my job was to teach a subject.
It didn't take me very long to realize I was much more interested in helping people learn.
Instead of asking, “How do I explain this concept?” I started asking, “How do people actually learn? What helps teachers grow? What kind of systems help students succeed year after year?”
Those questions eventually led far beyond my own classroom. I found myself coaching teachers, designing curriculum, launching and strengthening dual language programs, and trying to create a consistent K–12 experience across multiple schools. There wasn't a superintendent connecting all the pieces. Building that alignment meant listening well, building trust, and helping people move toward a shared vision.
Looking back, I don't think I was ever really teaching a subject. I was learning how people learn, grow, and work together.
Travel
I thought I loved solving travel problems.
It turns out I love helping people through uncertainty.
Planning a great trip is satisfying, but the moments that have stayed with me are the ones where everything went sideways: canceled flights, changing plans, worried clients, and a dozen organizations trying to solve the same problem from different directions.
Those situations taught me that expertise isn't just knowing the right answer. It's helping people feel supported while everyone works toward one.
Volunteer Leadership
Volunteer organizations are fascinating because very little happens through authority alone.
People are giving their time because they care. They bring different priorities, different experiences, and different ideas about what success looks like.
I've learned that good governance isn't about winning arguments. It's about creating enough trust that people can keep working together after the meeting ends.
How do people build trust?
How do they move forward together?
What helps good systems support the people they're meant to serve?