I grew up in California, and moved to New York City in 2004 to attend Columbia University, where I studied creative writing and East Asian languages and cultures.

After college, I joined Teach For America and began teaching high school in the South Bronx, and received my Master’s Degree in Education from CUNY Lehman. I worked in the education system for 12 years, teaching students from Pre-K through 12th grade. As I developed my teaching practice, I realized that I cared more about helping my students and their families build better, more meaningful lives here in America. 

I left the classroom in 2020 to be a full time cultural coach, and since then I’ve dedicated my life to helping people from different backgrounds learn to connect with one another.