Born and raised in Michigan, I have always been driven by a strong desire to excel academically and professionally. My journey through education was filled with numerous accomplishments and accolades. Throughout school, I always found myself to be the supportive friend who listened and advised my friends as they navigated through their friendships, peer pressures, and relationships with boy/girlfriends and family. I thrived on this, and it stayed with me through college. Friends and friends of friends would find me “to talk”. It felt good to be needed.

I first pursued my higher education at the University of Michigan, where I received my B.A, M.A, and secondary teaching certification in English and Communications. The halls of academia provided me with a sense of purpose, a passion for teaching, and a profound understanding of the power of words.

However, the road to success was not without its share of challenges. In my personal life, I found myself enduring emotionally abusive relationships that left lasting scars on my self-esteem and well-being. The toxic partners I encountered made me question my worth and resilience, but ultimately, they fueled my determination to break free from their control and regain my sense of self. In those dark days, I found the strength within me to break free from their suffocating grasp. The scars they left behind became a testament to my resilience and unwavering commitment to never again allow anyone to define my worth.

On the home front, while my parents instilled in me a deep appreciation for my cultural values, their well-intentioned but stifling control also cast a shadow on my aspirations. Their expectations were rooted in tradition, and at times, these expectations clashed with my dreams and career ambitions. It was a constant tug-of-war between honoring my heritage and pursuing my passions. Though they grounded me in a rich tapestry of traditions, teaching me the importance of family, respect, and heritage, the struggle of reconciling these values with my own right to freedom took years. I emerged with a deeper understanding of the delicate balance between honoring one's roots and pursuing personal aspirations.

After completing my second masters in Health Administration and PhD in Education, I ventured into the world of academia. For over 20 years, I served as an instructor at both the high school and college levels, imparting knowledge in English, humanities, and communications.

My years in higher education administration exposed me to the inner workings of institutions, where the pursuit of educational excellence was often overshadowed by bureaucratic complexities and power struggles. My time in the IT industry, working as a project manager and business analyst, afforded me a firsthand view of the intricate dance between ambition and collaboration, sharpening my skills in professional communication and problem-solving. It was during this time that I faced the challenges of navigating toxic work environments, plagued by political maneuvering and a relentless focus on self-interest. It was a disheartening experience but an educational one. Through that phase, I discovered that I was happier being a supportive coach to co-workers, especially 1st generation immigrants, and students alike. After all, they were experiencing the same negative environments as well.

In becoming more attuned to people’s needs in these environments, I discovered the theories of emotional intelligence, cognitive behavior therapy, and positive psychology. I started incorporating these theories into my curriculum to make assignments more meaningful and real-world-based for my students. This became the basis for my transformation from instructor and administrator to mentor, coach and consultant. I knew that preparing students for both college and the corporate workplace required not only academic knowledge but also real-world skills and resilience. This renewed passion drove me to establish my own learning center.

As the founder and director of my learning center, I crafted an exclusive and advanced English Language Arts program for grades 3-12, designed to prepare students for the rigors of college and the professional world, and hired and trained teachers with my approach and methodology. My customized curriculum incorporated the principles of positive psychology and emotional intelligence along with critical thinking, evidence-based reading analysis, and socio-behavioral learning theories. This made my classes more interactive and advanced my students’ writing, reading, and analytical skills which improved their school performance tremendously. But more importantly, the greatest satisfaction and impact I felt I had was empowering my students with confidence, motivation, and growth. Again, I found myself doing what I loved most, listening, mentoring, advising, and coaching students as they navigated the social, academic, and personal pressures at home and school.

With my higher education experience, I was able to prepare 12th graders with their college application essays, helping them reach their dream college-- from the most exclusive universities to the top-tier ones. Over these 15 years, I found myself increasingly drawn to coaching teens and adults through their hardships. Somehow my experiences increased not only my awareness and empathy of career, school, and family issues and relationships, but it empowered me to want to help people through their dark forest of anxiety, stress, and despair to discover their own light from within.

I sought to instill the same resilience that had carried me through life's trials. And so, I thrive on working with clients to empower them to find balance and purpose, regain confidence and motivation, and heal the wounds that have impacted their spirit and perception. My journey has been a tapestry woven from diverse threads of experience, and through my work, I aim to help, prepare, and empower those striving to navigate and reclaim their own paths to fulfillment and purpose.