Soquel Union Elementary School DistrictCandidate for Board Member

I am the mother of three children who go to school in our district. Over the past six years, I have taken on many roles and have worked hard to support students and teachers at my children’s school. When my oldest child entered Kindergarten in 2012, I started volunteering in his classroom. I have been providing mindfulness instruction in several classrooms (including lessons on tolerance, anti-bullying, and anti-prejudice). I also put together and led a mindfulness instruction course for the teachers and staff. I served on interview committees for hiring of classroom and music teachers, translated teacher newsletters into Spanish, led a school-wide monthly art program, organized after-school enrichment classes, provided administrative support for 5th grade science camp, organized the school variety show, supported fundraising activities, and have been a reliable member of the Home & School Club. I have had the opportunity to work with a diverse group of students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Through these experiences, I have gained an understanding of many issues that affect our schools and students and am prepared to represent you on the School Board. 

My education and training was in clinical psychology. I graduated with a B.A. (with Honors) in Psychology from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver. I have worked with children, homeless youth, pediatric cancer patients, veterans, and a diverse group of individuals and families in English and Spanish. In addition, I taught a Psychology of Women course at the community college level. 

I strongly believe that a successful public school district benefits everyone in the community. I value public school teachers and have the utmost respect for them as professionals. I am running for the school board because I am passionate about ensuring an exceptional education for the students of our district. All of our children deserve an education that will prepare them to be lifelong learners and achieve their goals. If elected to serve as a board member, I will work to ensure that all students have access to the tools they need to succeed and that all students are academically challenged and engaged. I also believe that our schools should be sufficiently and responsibly funded to keep and recruit excellent teachers and to meet the needs of our students. I value collaboration with the community and local officials.