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I was the second oldest and my little brother Zach was born in 1988 -
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Shaped much of who I was as a young person, growing up in a very small community and I was involved in every possible activity (often leading every club and team at school). In church, only men could lead. At school, women were given a voice though I was taught that our role was to submit to men in our Bible classes at school.
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Our next-door neighbors were our best friends. Every summer day was spent together and every Saturday we had to wait until 7 am to call each other to plan our day. It was the best childhood, super wholesome, creative and lots of outdoor play. -
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My parents were very strict when it came to dating and I had to wait until I was 16. We were best friends since middle school and started dating as soon as I turned 16. So just three years later he proposed to me and I said yes. At the age of 19, right before I left to study in Spain for a semester, my high school sweetheart proposed and I said yes. Very much young love.
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The semester abroad in Spain truly changed my life. I experienced travel and fed an unknown internal desire to see the world through a different perspective. It opened my eyes and changed the direction of my life. -
Upon returning from Spain, I knew I had to break off the engagement as my life wasn't meant to stay comfortable and with the status-quo in small town Minnesota. I gave him the ring back and said it wasn't meant to be for us. It was one of the hardest moments of bravery in my life, giving up what I wanted but knew wasn't right.
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I spent the month of January student teaching in Mexico and it changed my life. I loved it and interviewed for a job before returning to Minnesota to finish out my degree. -
I made the big move to Mexico at the age of 21, thinking I'd be there teaching for just 2 years at a small Christian school, hardly making ends meet but experiencing the culture and language first hand. -
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I was presented with an opportunity to get my Master's in education, which opened doors for a bigger paycheck and a new job at a larger international school.
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I started teaching 4th grade at a small school for two years, then got hired at a larger school to teach 4th grade. I pursued leadership as the grade level leader for many years alongside the tech specialist role. I got Google certified and started training teachers around Mexico on how to use technology. I moved into 6th grade for a couple years, before getting asked to work at Google, which was my dream.
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One night out salsa dancing with a friend, I met Walter, who is now my husband. He's Peruvian and was a pleasant surprise in so many ways. We are opposites and I'm so grateful for him and how we've grown over the last decade. -
Given our tri-cultural relationship, him being from Peru, me from the states and living in Mexico, our wedding location was going to be complicated. We decided to fly to Hawaii and get married on the beach and celebrate later with family and friends. -
Our first child changed our lives forever. It was a really hard transition into parenting and we almost didn't survive it as a couple, but are so thankful today that Max is here and is such a delight. -
I was offered a job at Google Mexico and turned it down as it required a move to Mexico City. The next day I was offered a job working remote for a company that is partners with Google and it was a dream job. I traveled each month to different places around North and South America training teachers, giving workshops and keynotes in English and Spanish. I ran our online course program and publishing department.
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Zoe Grace, her name means life and she is full of it. Her middle name is Grace because after the hard transition into parenting, we knew we needed a lot of grace as parents to be patient, loving and work as a team. -
After a surprise call in which I got let go from my dream job (there were 30 of us that lost jobs that year), I was offered a job in a Mexican company doing the same thing I had been doing for the states but now full-time in Spanish. It stretched me in a lot of ways and ultimately led me back to the classroom as the bus trips around Mexico started causing anxiety attacks and I knew I had to make a change.
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I've started a community for entrepreneurs, primarily living abroad. I coach these women every month and invite experts to share different skills, such as branding, marketing, website design, and business plans. My dream is that through this community and coaching, other women can pursue their dreams. -
I came back to a school in the middle of a pandemic and was given a new role on the leadership team. I loved getting to coach the principals on digital presentations and train the parents on all the digital platforms while coaching teachers as well. This year I'm back in the classroom as well, revamping the curriculum in elementary technology.
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And here I am pursuing my doctorate, focusing on equity and gender equality. Passionate about empowering women around the world to follow their dreams despite the extra challenges we face and I believe that education is often the answer to changing the narrative in society. -
For the first time in over 15 years, we are considering a move back to the states. The doctoral program is one important piece of this consideration as well as being closer to my family as my parents age. -
I want to start in a leadership role in Minnesota in a Latinx community, using my bilingual abilities and cultural understanding in a setting in which I can empower young women and men to pursue education and opportunities. -
I dream of writing and publishing a book about changing the narrative for young girls and women's roles in the church and society. I want to empower others to break glass ceilings and travel speaking to young girls around the world.