Being a parent defines me.
It was from the moment I gazed into my son’s eyes and remains this way today. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Parenting isn’t for the faint of heart. You rise when your child succeeds and fall hard when difficulties emerge. No other role in life can be exhilarating one moment and devastating the next. Your heart soars with every positive step and your soul aches when your child struggles.
A child with academic and creative giftedness, my son found school and the social world akin to living in another universe. He didn’t understand them and they didn’t understand or appreciate him. And when his days became overwhelming and the spark in his eyes showed distress, my world became less about my business career and more about advocacy for him and many hundreds of other children.
If your child or teen is struggling, your life is upended in ways that few can understand. But I do. I’ll stand beside you and add my voice and expertise as you strive to secure what your child needs to succeed in school, for this leads to success in life. As the magnet on our refrigerator has always said, “We will never give up.” And we will not. Ever.
Credentials:
B.A., Journalism, The Pennsylvania State University
Advanced training: special education, legal, autism spectrum disorders, social thinking, behavioral interventions, diversity, mental health, at-risk and homeless students
College preparation coach, course developer, and instructor; college success coaching from admission through graduation
Coaching students with executive function needs and with the transition from middle to high school and high school to college
Organizational development, strategic planning, communications, work/life integration, diversity & inclusion, nonprofits
Speaker, presenter, trainer, facilitator, writer, spokesperson, researcher
Certified: Mental Health First Aid; QPR Institute Suicide Prevention; Child Abuse Mandated Reporter; Overview of Family Homelessness, Understanding Family Homelessness, and Understanding the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
Pro bono: West Chester University Resource Pantry Advisory Board; Pennies From Kevan Foundation; Homeless For The Holidays; Valley Youth House; Covenant House; KidSave; Chester County Single Mothers Conference; CBS-3 Autism Phone Bank Facilitator
Founder & CEO, Education Navigation
Former: Director, Human Resources Development, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP; Managing Director, Work/Family Management, Ltd.; Columnist - "Parents Express;" Pennsylvania Autism Taskforce; Host, WBEB-FM (101.1)