I come from a family shaped by movement, language, and learning. I’m a citizen of the Shawnee Tribe and Cherokee Nation on my father’s side, and a second-generation American on my mother’s—who immigrated from Thailand. These dual identities have shaped how I see education: as both a means of honoring where we come from and a tool for building a more just, inclusive future.

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My journey in education began in high school, when I joined a grow-your-own teacher program through Educators Rising. That experience lit a fire in me—not just to teach, but to transform the systems that shape how we prepare and support educators. I later served as the National President of Educators Rising, advocating for thousands of future teachers and witnessing the power that emerges when young people are invited to better understand their education systems, and to imagine themselves as part of changing them.

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Since then, I’ve served as a high school teacher, department chair, program designer, researcher, and policy strategist. Teaching Education Professions—a CTE program for aspiring educators—at Skyline High School in Mesa Public Schools brought my work full circle.

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Today, I serve as Head of Innovation and Policy Initiatives for the Next Education Workforce and as a Research Assistant Professor in the Division for Advancing Educator Preparation at Arizona State University. I also serve as Executive Board President of the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP).

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In my current work, I lead efforts to redesign educator workforce systems through team-based staffing models, strategic school staffing, and community-rooted preparation pathways. I study and shape policy to scale these innovations, and I contribute to national thought leadership around how we recruit, prepare, and organize educators in ways that are sustainable, adaptive, and equitable.

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I also lead innovation in the use of AI for educator teams, researching and building tools to support educators, schools, and systems.

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One of my proudest efforts was leading a $8.2 million U.S. Department of Education Teacher & School Leader grant, awarded to ASU and Mesa Public Schools, to redesign human capital management systems in support of team-based models.

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I believe in building an educator workforce that reflects the brilliance and diversity of the communities it serves. And I believe that transforming how schools are staffed and how teachers are prepared at the same time is one of the most powerful ways we can shape a better future for both students and educators.