Background
I am originally from California and moved to Arizona in the early 2000’s to attend college to become a teacher, a job which had always been my lifelong dream. While I was going school, I worked as an English Language Learner Paraprofessional and as a Special Education Paraprofessional. In my teaching career, I have taught almost every grade level Preschool through 8th grade, with my area of specialty being literacy education. Both my teaching vocation and Catholic faith are what originally brought me to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Glendale School as a second grade teacher approximately six years ago, leading to my current Principal position today .
What are you looking forward to as you begin this school year?
This year I am looking forward to a return to a “normal” school year. COVID has made teaching and learning very difficult the last few years, and I am excited to begin a year with students in classrooms learning directly from his or her teacher. We learned a lot about virtual/hybrid and blended learning, and we won’t forget those lessons, but a school is just a building without students, so having them all here is wonderful!
What do you think about the Arizona tax credit opportunity and how do you share that with your families?
The Arizona tax credit is an amazing gift to our students and families. I am grateful to all the donors that make Catholic school possible for so many children. I share with my families my own experiences, I have four children that are, or have, attended Catholic school which may not have been possible without the support of the tax credit donors and Catholic Education Arizona.
Why do you support catholic education?
I support Catholic education because it creates students that are both academically and spiritually strong. College and Heaven is always the goal and there are so, so many examples of students that attended our schools becoming the Catholic leaders of now and the future. I truly don’t have to look further than my own family, my daughter attended Catholic elementary school and Xavier, and is thriving at Barrett’s Honors College at ASU, as well as living out her faith every single day. In short, Catholic schools work!
What are things that you might like to share about your school?
We are very excited about our new STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, Music) Building. The learning opportunities of these classrooms will be exciting and virtually limitless. This building will be possible through the generosity of Shea Homes and the OLPH Glendale Community. Spiritually, we have numerous opportunities for our students to attend Mass, and as a school community we spend time every Friday with the Blessed Sacrament, as well as pray the Rosary the first Friday of the month.
What makes Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Glendale, Arizona unique and the community that it is?
What makes OLPH Catholic School and Church unique is the students and community. The students work hard to grow both spiritually and academically, and this community shares its gifts and talents to assist people in need. We are all in on helping the students and the Catholic community as a whole.
Anything else you might like to share.
I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve at OLPH GLendale Catholic School, I consider it both a privilege and a vocation!
