Early childhood and parenting education represents a second career for me, after spending 15 years in coastal management and cultural anthropology. I find crossover in the networking aspects of each job and a passion for community service. For the last two years, I’ve served as preschool director while supporting challenging behavior and coordinating PBIS in elementary school. The previous five years I served as head teacher in a small preschool part of a rural charter school, overcoming challenges with a developmentally appropriate space within the school to operate preschool. By focusing on the children’s interests and accessing beautiful outdoor spaces, we focused on social emotional health and cultivating exploration and love of learning. My whole life, I’ve found inspiration and “joie de vivre” through the eyes of children, reminding me to notice the wonders of the natural world and the purpose of life - love.I am passionate about supporting the inner lives of children - and find that translates to us at all ages and experiences. I seek to normalize mental health and wellness including school and work.For the past several years I have focused on developing interpersonal leadership practices and building social and emotional skills in children recognizing, believing that we all do well if we can, and training myself to develop and impart skills needed to do better, especially in myself. By following thought leaders (Brené Brown; Aiko Bethea; Michelle and Barack Obama; Clint Smith; Ibram Kendi; Emily and Amelia Nagoski; Yaba Blay; Sonja Renee Taylor; Adam Grant; Daniel Siegel) I have challenged myself to look into the darker parts of the American Story, particularly the taking of native lands and of the institution of slavery. I understand the generational impacts of trauma and better understand my identity as a cis-gender privileged, disabled white woman who has experienced the trauma of patriarchy and sexual exploitation to develop a my true narrative and promote myself as a parent, leader, creative and empath. Serving and leading several diversity and equity committees through my career, even recently, I know the work doesn’t cease and I continually evolve, acknowledging past failings in those efforts, with a willingness to get vulnerable, learn the truth about our story as a nation and listen to those who live in different skin. This new awareness I hope helps me to “do better” as I “know better” (Maya Angelou - one of my earliest influencers) and serve both children and families as a parent and child skills facilitator in my current practice.