Meet the Principal

Welcome to THE Kyrene de las Manitas Innovation Academy, home of the Innovative Dolphin Scholars. I am thrilled to join this amazing team of educators and family community. I bring 25 years of educational experience, having taught grade levels 1st through 8th; in both private and public schools; and in rural, urban and suburban settings. I have been a teacher, a student advisor, and an administrator in schools across the country. For the last eight years, Kyrene has been my home. I served the last seven as the assistant principal at Kyrene de las Lomas.

I am passionate about redefining and redesigning the educational experience of all students, to inspire them to find their purpose, ignite a passion for learning and to build their capacity to be innovators. I believe that every student has a gift to showcase to the world and that every educator has a deposit to make within their school community.

I hail from south Louisiana and have lived in Arizona for the past 12 years. I hold a post-baccalaureate teacher certification and my master’s degree in Educational Leadership and my bachelor’s degree in English are both from Louisiana State University. I am married with a blended family of five young adults and four granddaughters. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, writing, getting some exercise in and volunteering as a youth mentor. 

Thank you for choosing the unique model of Kyrene de las Manitas Innovative Academy for your child’s educational experience. I appreciate and value your trust, commitment, and engagement within the Innovative Dolphin community. As I embark upon this next level, I am excited to learn about all of you, study this model and continue to build upon its foundation. As a community fully invested in the lives and well-being of every student, I am confident that we will see Student Scholars at Manitas who are not just surviving school, but they are thriving!

If you are intrigued and interested in the Manitas model, I will be available after July 5^th for questions and detailed information. You can register online at www.kyrene.org/enrollment