About the Founder

I am excited to launch my mental wellness micro school, an educational space rooted in emotional intelligence, mental wellness, and early intervention. Across the U.S. in 2022, more than 80% of teachers reported that students lacked social skills and emotional maturity. At the same time, literacy remains an urgent concern. In the 2023 to 2024 school year, only about 48% of students in grades K to 8 in our city scored at or above grade level in reading. That means more than half of our children are struggling to read.

A little about me: I have dedicated my entire adult life to working with and advocating for youth. My journey began at age 14 with my first job in a daycare, and over the past 30 years I have served in the public school system, worked with foster children, and held roles in Child Protective Services and Texas Juvenile Justice Parole. Whether on or off the clock, I have always found myself advocating for children and families.

Alongside my professional work, I founded a youth group, Just Me! Sport and Fitness, built on a youth-leading-youth model. Through this program, young people organized and led basketball tournaments, book clubs, talent shows, and youth entrepreneurship events. These experiences deepened my understanding of the challenges young people face today.

Through my work, I’ve come to believe deeply that mental wellness is just as essential as a childs physical health. Preventative mental wellness education is not only important it is critical. I am passionate about helping parents understand that mental wellness forms the foundation for a childs overall well-being and long-term success.

My goal is to use my experience to implement programs that build early and ongoing mental wellness awareness, while ensuring parents have the tools and knowledge, they need to support their children from early childhood through their journey into becoming whole, healthy adults.