I am a fourth-year Ph.D. student at Boston University studying Language and Literacy in Education. I grew up in Mansfield, MA, with my mom, who is my first teacher and constant support system. She is my favorite person, and much of the work I do is for her and in honor of our ancestors. Alongside my graduate studies, I serve as a reading specialist in Boston Public Schools. Before beginning my doctoral program, I worked as a classroom teacher and reading specialist in Chelsea Public Schools, where I learned the deep value of being in community with students, families, and fellow educators.
Currently, I am entering my fifth year as a graduate student and tenth year as a public school teacher! My research interests include exploring the intersections of reading instruction, identity, and disrupting anti-Blackness in education. I am interested in studying in-and-out-of-school literacy spaces to better understand how young people navigate injustice and work towards collective liberation. I take a humanizing approach to literacy, as I support teachers in cultivating the genius that already exists within students (Muhammad, 2020).
I plan to support asset-based literacy learning and teaching with the understanding that students already have rich knowledge and experiences that should be honored, affirmed, and sustained within educational spaces. In addition to working with young people to unpack our multiple intersecting identities, literacies, and histories, I aim to bring my experiences with young people and teachers into conversations that inform educational policy, working toward the disruption of anti-Blackness and inequitable systems that continue to hinder students from receiving an equitable education.
Recognize Education And Learning 