Family: Husband, Ty; son, Nolan
School: All sites
Job: School psychologist
Experience and education: I completed my undergraduate degree through Fresno Pacific and have a degree in early childhood development. I received my master’s from Brandman University in educational psychology. I worked in a previous district for seven years.
What attracted you to Denair? I moved to Denair in 2019 and have very much enjoyed living here. I think it is important to be able to give back to the community and be a part of where you live.
What most inspires you about being a school psychologist? Being able to make a difference in students’ lives and being a part of a team that can get them the support and services they may need.
What is a challenge you look forward to tackling this year? This year, I am taking on new roles as a school psychologist that are a bit different than what the past seven years have looked like for me, but a challenge is good, and it is important to have continuous learning in the field.
What is your favorite tool or activity to use with students? Whenever I meet with students for the first time, I enjoy doing an interview that really helps me capture the student from their point of view. It helps me to understand why learning may be difficult or why they are feeling a certain way about school. It is also a fun way to learn better about their interests, what they enjoy about themselves and what they feel their strengths are.
What do you want your students to remember? That I was someone they could confide in and someone who helped them feel successful at school whether academically, behaviorally or social emotionally.
How can parents support what you do? Home and school communication are always a vital part of a student’s success. When parents can share pieces to the puzzle that we may not see or know about, that helps us implement important strategies at school to better help students succeed.
What would surprise people about your job? School psychologists are extremely multi-faceted and wear many different hats on any given day.
What do you do for fun? Keeping up with my toddler, working out, being outside, watching sports, and I enjoy going to comedy shows and/or concerts.
