"I hope to inspire and pass along my passion for behavior analysis and special education to my students in the ways my mentors have done for me!"

Hometown

Anaheim, CA

Department

Special Education

How did you become interested in the special education field?

I had an incredible opportunity when I graduated college to work for a special day school in Virginia working with individuals with severe challenging behavior and intellectual disabilities. This opportunity first introduced me to applied behavior analysis (ABA) and I was able to learn and grow from some amazing mentors and educators who paved my passion for special education and behavior analysis. Being part of this team and watching first hand how effective collaboration impacted positive changes in the students quality of life ignited my interest in pursuing my masters degree in behavior analysis and now my doctorate in special education.

What is your philosophy of teaching?

My teaching philosophy includes highlighting the strengths of my students to increase learning, along with providing opportunities to practice skills and receive feedback. In my experiences as a behavior analyst and now working as an instructor, the value of assessment, identifying my students strengths, and regular feedback help me to ensure my teaching methods are successful and my students can meet their learning objectives.

What types of candidates do you hope/recommend to pursue our BCBA-Track programs? 

Individuals who are passionate about effective collaboration, and supporting the growth and capacity of behavior analysts and special educators in the state of Hawaii to support our students and their families.

How does the BCBA-Track program best support and prepare its students?

I really love the innovative approaches our team considers such as using evidence-based practices to maximize competency and creating unique tools for our program. I also appreciate the ways the program ensures we can support our students across multiple settings to offer the greatest support for our students with disabilities.

What words of advice would you give to people looking to pursue this profession?

The best advice I can give anyone pursuing a career in behavior analysis is to have humility, foster collaboration, and to always remember to be sensitive to the cultural nuances of the students we support.

Briefly describe your own road to higher education.

I’ve always felt fortunate to have incredible mentors throughout my career and I strongly believe this has shaped my passion for teaching and training others. The opportunity to be a part of our growing program has challenged me and encouraged me to keep growing in this new role in higher education. I hope to inspire and pass along my passion for behavior analysis and special education to my students in the ways my mentors have done for me!

What are your research interests?

I am interested in evidence-based training as it pertains to BCaBA/BCBA candidates, educators, administrators, and parents. I have a special interest in combining approaches rooted in the science of behavior analysis specifically organizational behavior management, and special education to discover any correlations between training and coaching methods for competency and student outcomes.

What do you like to do outside of education?

I am really enjoying watching my 3 year old daughter growing up and spending as much time as I can with her and my husband on the beach!