What drew you to study education?

Teaching is hereditary in my family – it's just in my bones. I taught English-Language Arts (ELA) for 11 years, and it was the best job in the universe. I was never happier than when I was in the four walls of my classroom. My students and I would often push the desks to the corners of the rooms and sit on the floor and tell our stories, or stand on top of desks to play vocabulary review games. When I was teaching, I felt so much joy, and I was nicknamed by some as “Ms. Smiley” for the semi-permanent smile I'd wear on my face. Yet, I found that the systemic issues and my compounding experiences with antiblackness in school ultimately made teaching unsustainable for me. My experience is partly why I study Black teachers and Black-affirming spaces – to create the possibility for future professional learning spaces that support Black teacher thriving. 

What were you doing prior to applying to the GSE?

I taught ELA at Oak Park River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois. I was also an instructional coach, a co-advisor for the Black Student Union, and a boys’ track and field long sprints coach.

What research are you pursuing at Stanford?

My dissertation research consists of three related studies of Black teachers. In one, I explored how Black people create spaces for their learning and growth in spite of the totalizing climate of antiblackness (Sharpe, 2016). Drawing on ross’s (2021) notion of Black educational fugitive space, I conducted a longitudinal examination of how Black teachers co-create what I theorize as a Black teacher fugitive space. I studied how this fugitive space informs and supports their pedagogies and navigation of antiblackness at their school sites. Fugitivity connotes an enslaved person who runs away from anti-Black horrors toward a real or imagined freedom. Studying fugitive spaces helps us understand the conditions under which Black people can thrive, and in the case of education, how Black teachers can remain in the teaching profession despite anti-Black climates.

What surprised you about Stanford once you got here?

As a teacher, I felt like my intellect was never appreciated. I felt like schooling only cared about what outcomes I could “produce” from my students, and not on my thoughts and pedagogies that fostered happy and healthy young people who critically engage with their communities. In short, I was funneled toward compliance and away from innovation. At Stanford, however, I was so surprised to have people excited about my ideas, to have thought partners who really pushed my thinking. I feel supported to think outside the box, to engage deeply with my intellectual side, and to find my own path instead of someone else’s. I am trusted, I feel valued, and I can make what I need out of this opportunity. It really is a “choose your own adventure,” and that's something I have deeply valued about my time here.