I’m a mom, classroom volunteer, PTA member, and education advocate who has served on the Anchorage School Board as Treasurer and Finance Committee chair since May 2021. I earned my BA from Stanford University and my PhD from the University of Michigan.
I’m passionate about supporting children throughout their educational journeys and believe that a strong education system is the foundation for a vibrant, healthy community.
My husband and I moved to Alaska more than 11 years ago and have two children enrolled in ASD. Although they've both grown during my time on the Board, our youngest is still enrolled at our neighborhood elementary school, right where my school board story started.
For years, my daughter came home from school saying “Mom, I didn’t have time to eat!”
Parents across Anchorage knew that short lunch and recess times were a problem, especially for the last kid in the hot lunch line, but they didn’t know what to do about it. Six years ago, I decided to take action. Having volunteered on the PTA and in classrooms, I knew how important it would be to connect with parents and teachers across the district. I helped form a group called ASD60 and we testified at school board meetings. Our research on best practices, combined with grassroots support from Chugiak to Girdwood and backing from groups like the Anchorage NAACP and the Alaska Reading Coalition, prompted ASD to create a Wellness Pilot for elementary students. Because of our collaborative, evidence-based work, more than 8,000 children across Anchorage received more time for recess and lunch in the 2019-2020 year!
NEA-Alaska named the group I co-founded as their 2020 “Champions of Children” and the State of Alaska also recognized our work as a “School Health Success Story.” Two recently published, peer-reviewed studies of ASD’s Wellness Pilot showed that participating students were happier, less hungry, and had fewer disciplinary needs, and that school wellness initiatives in which teachers play a large role (and are supported by the administration) can support both teachers and students. In short, focusing on student wellness primes kids to learn.
I ran for School Board for the April ‘21 election—and again in 2022—eager to build on that work. I wanted to improve educational outcomes in Anchorage by taking strong stances in support of student wellness, equity and learning.
I’ve been working hard since being elected to keep those promises. I continue to believe that when we do our research, talk to our teachers and parents, and roll up our sleeves and get to work, we can make things better.