Principal’s Corner

I'm originally from Illinois, earning my bachelors in Elementary Education at Illinois State University in 2006, and my masters (with Principal Liscensure) in Education Policy Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois in 2013.

From 2006 -2013, I taught 8th grade (Science, ELA, and AVID) at Franklin Middle School in Champaign as well as serving as science department head, 8th grade team leader, and sponsor/member of a variety of other organizations and committees in our school and throughout our district that have taught me the importance of time management, data driven – student focused decisions, delegating responsibilities, balancing personal and professional time, being open to change, providing opportunities for steakholders' voices, addressing student support needs, and communicating regularly with families.

In 2014-2015, I had the opportunity to work as the interim assistant principal at Garden Hills Elementary School in Champaign CUSD #4. One of the highlights from this experience was the systems work we have did when addressing students social-emotional and academic needs. We built teacher capacity by focusing classroom management strategies on restorative practices such as community circles and restorative conversations. This was a school wide system that crossed every category from support staff through administration.

In fall of 2015, I joined Manaugh Elementary's team as the Dean of Students, and transitioned to the role of Assistant Principal in summer of 2017. As Dean/AP I learned the importance of prioritizing my time to align to our school mission, vision, and values. In 2018 I had the honor of moving into the Principal position and the responsibility of leading the change and school improvement efforts our school was already diligently working toward. I am proud of our team that focuses on the needs of the whole child with a Trauma Informed - Social Justice - Social Emotional approach to education. We understand that every child is unique and we leverage research-based best practices to create a positive learning enviornment where ALL our scholars can demonstrate excellence.

Each activity, program, and team that I have been involved with was out of the desire to help improve the school system and meet the needs of the students, staff, and community while developing my skills as a leader. Experiencing a variety of settings has strengthened my belief that all students can learn and achieve at a high level, and everyone deserves a high-quality education. I love having the opportunity to continue to improve the educational experiences and opportunities for students and staff by contributing my talents and positive energy as Principal here at Manaugh Elementary School.