Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Postdoctoral Researcher School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
September 2024 – Present

• Coordinate efforts between the UNC Principal Investigator (PI) and school districts across North Carolina and Miami-Dade schools.
• Assist in recruiting North Carolina (NC) schools to participate in a comparative randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of an elementary school social emotional learning program.
• Work closely with school partners to coordinate staff training in 12 NC elementary schools, distribute parent consent forms, and develop and implement student and teacher surveys.
• Contribute to the study design and implementation of research studies focused on preventing bullying among students with disabilities.
•  with co-PIs to evaluate a teacher professional development program in Miami-Dade schools centered on supporting youth with disabilities and bullying prevention.
• Coordinate and carry out trainings and data collection at school sites.
• Contribute to the testing and refinement of curricular resources.
• Disseminate project outputs to academic, higher education, and practitioner audiences.

School Counseling and SEL Coordinator, St.Vrain Valley School District
April 2020 – September 2024

• Coordinate and facilitate district-wide professional development, training, and support for all district counselors.
• Manage $450,00 Colorado School Counselor Corps grant
• Manage district-wide Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) survey and ICAP graduation requirement
• Coordinate training, support, and professional development for three district-supported SEL curriculums and programs in all district schools K-12
• Sources of Strength trainer for all district high schools
• Facilitate Curriculum Training
• Create and facilitate professional development for various school stakeholders in the area of social emotional learning
• Lead the SEL district team
• Support district Threat Assessment Team and facilitate Threat Assessments
• Create innovative web-based resources for district staff
• Partner with schools to find solutions for better systemic social emotional learning
• Build solutions for better adult SEL
• Utilize the CASEL framework to better serve students, schools, and the district
• Support district-wide Three Signature Practices initiative
• School Counseling intern supervisor

Mental Health Interventionist, Soaring Heights PK-8
August 2019-March 2020 

• Management of MTSS Tier 2 and 3 caseloads with all grades
• Create behavior plans for struggling students
• Collaborate with teachers to implement accommodations
• Collaborate with all special education caseworkers to support the mental health of their students
• Work directly with teachers in the Affective needs program
• Design lessons through In Focus SEL curriculum for middle school
• Teach grade-level counseling curriculum to all elementary grades
• Crisis Management
• Lead small groups in social skills, anxiety, Zones of Regulation, and academics

Director of Student Success, Early College of Arvada
August 2018 – March 2019
Continued responsibilities as Counseling Department Head along with: 

• Member of the school leadership team with a focus on managing special population programs, curricular planning, and ensuring post-secondary options for diverse, historically underrepresented student populations
• Managed the counseling department, including a full-time counselor and part-time school social worker
• Manage the concurrent enrollment program for Early College of Arvada students taking courses through the University of Colorado Denver and Front Range Community College
• Developed curricular pathways and new graduation requirements
• Crisis Management

Counseling Department Head, Early College of Arvada
August 2016 – July 2018
Continued responsibilities as School Counselor/Taekwondo Instructor in addition to: 

• Member of Leadership Team
• Implementation of evidenced-based Social Emotional Learning (LifeSkills) program for all students
• Lead Safety/Awareness/Self-Defense course for 12^th Grade students
• Direct weekly girls’ group focused on anger management, social skills, academic issues, behavioral issues, self-esteem, and conflict resolution
• Development of suicide risk assessments
• Implementation and management of the Naviance College and Career Readiness program
• Management of the counseling department budget
• Provided coaching for an extra-curricular Taekwondo competition team

School Counselor/Taekwondo Instructor, Early College of Arvada
August 2008 – July 2016   

• Co-founded charter school starting with less than 50 students growing to more than 350 students
• Counseled students in grades 6 through 12, using solution-focused and person-centered approaches, to address issues such as academic performance, social skills, self-esteem, and attendance
• Delivered Anti-Bullying presentations for grades 6 through 12 focusing on topics such as bullying defined, conflict resolution, sexual harassment, school policy on reporting and discipline, role of the internet in bullying, how to handle bullies, and alternative behaviors for bullies and victims
• ICAP coordinator for all students-including Career Day organizer
• Delivered SEL curriculum to all 6-8^th graders
• Assisted students with college and scholarship applications
• Taught two to five courses each year of PE (including martial arts) during school day
• Advised and assisted numerous students in short-term crisis situations such as bullying, friendship issue