One of my favorite quotes is by Brene Brown that states, “What you know matters, but who you are matters more.” I’ve always believed that the social emotional needs of students must be met first before any academic learning can take place in the classroom. The Los Altos School District long ago made a commitment to educating the whole child which is why I chose to move to this community, send my three children through LASD, and why I enjoy working here so much. My interest in psychology, education, and social-emotional learning led me to the field of school psychology and I received my B.A. in psychology at the University of Dayton and my M.A. +30 hours at The Ohio State University. I worked at Springer and Loyola as a school psychologist many years ago before our family moved to Chicago. I am thrilled to be back working for the district and at Blach for the last year and a half. Working with this age group is very rewarding and the dedication and student centered approach by the entire staff makes me proud to be a Blach Falcon.  I’ve been a volunteer with Project Cornerstone for many years, have served on the Los Altos Education Foundation board, and run student book clubs at both Blach and Egan. Outside of work, my three teenagers keep me super busy but when I get time for myself you can find me playing tennis, going for a hike, running, or reading a good book.