ABOUT ME

I’m an Assistant Professor of Literacy at the University of South Carolina Aiken with a deep passion for early literacy and teacher professional learning. My work focuses on preparing future teachers to understand the complexity of language and literacy development, while equipping them with research-based practices that they can confidently apply in their classrooms. 

In addition to teaching and research, I continue to partner with schools and districts through professional development. I support teachers in refining their practice, amplifying their voices, and building confidence in their ability to make responsive instructional decisions. Teachers thrive when their expertise is celebrated, their questions are valued, and their learning is rooted in their everyday classroom experiences. I coach literacy leaders in building sustainable systems for professional knowledge learning, enabling schools to continue growing and thriving long after a workshop or coaching cycle concludes.

At the core of everything I do is a commitment to joyful, equitable literacy instruction that opens doors for kids and lifts the teachers who make it happen. 

I attended the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!), earning a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.Ed. in Language and Literacy. 

I also hold a PhD in Reading Education from Texas Woman's University, where I focused on emergent literacy, writing instruction, and teacher professional learning.

I have the following active certifications in Texas: 

Texas Classroom Teacher, Grades EC-6

Texas Master Reading Teacher, Grades EC-12

Texas Reading Specialist, Grades EC-12

Texas Gifted and Talented Supplemental, Grades EC-12

Texas English as a Second Language Supplemental, Grades EC-12