Kōrero EAG - Start Local, Go Global

"The pandemic shook us out of our teaching habits and forced us to find an alternative to in-person teaching. Like everyone else, I drank from the fire hose of online technology, and through the fatigue and misery of it all, I began to see the potential of the online lectures that were taking shape. They were as primitive as the first draft of any paper. But I was hopeful. I could do this. And I did not have to be on camera if I did not want to."

"The pandemic shook us out of our teaching habits and forced us to find an alternative to in-person teaching. Like everyone else, I drank from the fire hose of online technology, and through the fatigue and misery of it all, I began to see the potential of the online lectures that were taking shape. They were as primitive as the first draft of any paper. But I was hopeful. I could do this. And I did not have to be on camera if I did not want to."

Dave Cardona is a Graphic Designer in the Clothing Industry and has worked for over 20 years. Dave developed his passion for Graphic Design and Art by collecting Sports Trading cards and reading Sports Illustrated as a young boy. His first job as a Graphic Designer was in the Clothing Industry, and he continues to design, source and manufacture clothing with vendors overseas.

Carol Jiménez was elected to the Perris Elementary School District Board of Education in November 2022 and sworn into office in December 2022. Carol started her tenure in the district as a teacher, and as she noticed the disparity of the children in her district wrote grants to start a preschool program for the district. The grants were awarded and Carol became the Director of Child Development Programs for the District. With collaboration and funding from the state and First 5 a unique school readiness facility was built in Perris, named Rob Reiner Children & Families Development Center. The goal of the preschool programs was to address children and families' needs to prevent barriers from being successful in school. She has two master's degrees in Education, one from UCR and one from Cal State, San Bernardino. Her goal for being on the school board is to continue to serve the community with transparency and excitement!Lisa Evans Powell was elected to the Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education in November 2022. She is a Southern California native and holds Master's degrees in Social Welfare and Public Policy (as well as her Bachelor's) from UCLA and a Doctorate of Social Work from USC (University of Southern California). She is a social worker, researcher, and active community volunteer who views her school board role as another way to serve her community. Lisa is thrilled at her new role, as she is of the belief that there is nearly no greater honor than playing a role in the education and development of our children and youth.

Dr. Denise Kennedy is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. She is part of an early childhood education collaborative in California called PEACH (Partnership in Education, Articulation, and Collaboration in Higher Education) and co-leads the Credential workgroup. Dr. Kennedy is on the leadership team for the CA Baccs group of 4-year University baccalaureate programs in California. She is on the California Commissioning on Teacher Credentialing Teacher Performance Assignment Design team for the Teacher level of the Child Development Permit and is active in the state in creating the PK-3 Early Childhood Specialist Instruction Credential. Given the push down of K-12 into early childhood, she is working with other Early Childhood Education (ECE) Professionals to create a developmentally appropriate credential through best practices in Child Development/ECE BA programs and Credential programs in CA. She is the Principal Investigator for the Cal Poly Pomona portion of the UP-LIFT California grant, where she and her team of Norco College, Baldwin Park Unified School district, and Early Edge California have created 8 DLL Competencies as well as an observation Tool to assess them in the classroom.

Dr. Chris Burns has been the Executive Director of Boys Republic since 2010 and has been employed there in various capacities for the last 30 years. His wife, Brandy, and he have raised their two boys in the Chino Valley, with one graduating from Cal Poly Pomona and working as an electrical engineer and the other in his junior year at Cal State Long Beach on a baseball scholarship. His passions begin with family and friends, assisting the less fortunate, and partnering with the Friends of Steve McQueen to bring a world-class car show to Boys Republic each June.

Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens is Reef Environmental Education Foundation's Co-Executive Director of Science & Engagement. She has been with REEF for almost 30 years and has overseen the expansion of its citizen science fish monitoring program over the last 2 decades. Christy's role at REEF intersects citizen science, education, and conservation, engaging REEF's members to advance the organization's mission of protecting biodiversity and ocean life. She oversees all aspects of the Volunteer Fish Survey Project, facilitates the incorporation of REEF's citizen science data into resource management policy and the scientific literature, and regularly leads expeditions as part of REEF's Field Survey Trips program. She is also a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame.FB: https://www.facebook.com/REEF.org

Louis is a very talented individual. He played three sports in high school basketball, baseball, and football. He also played the clarinet in high school and really enjoyed it. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a bachelor's in manufacturing engineering. Now he is an engineer working on designing machines that deal with tires. His ultimate goal is to create a product that will impact many. He officiates basketball, football, volleyball, and soccer, and umpires softball, where he goes by the name of BlueLou. He wants five kids one day so he can have a huge family and leave his legacy behind. He wants to be great and to be great, you have to motivate others around you, which he does daily.IG: SteveyyjayylouFB: SteveyyjayylouTwitter: Steveyyjayylou

Bella is a young professional, currently working in the field of philanthropy at the Packard Foundation in Silicon Valley. She graduated during the pandemic with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations with an emphasis in Global Environment and three minors in Climate Science and Policy, Human Rights, and Professional Writing, and was able to study abroad twice during her undergraduate career to Ecuador and Australia. As a true California native, Bella enjoys the outdoors including camping, hiking, traveling to the mountains and the beaches, and going out in the city. Her true passions lie with the environmental and climate justice movements, exercise and holistic nutrition, traveling, and advocacy and activism for the environment.LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bellabucheli/ IG: @bellarbuchTwitter: @bellsbuchels

Dr. Joel Wong is a Professor of Counseling Psychology in the School of Education at Indiana University. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the Asian American Psychological Association. Joel conducts research on the science of gratitude interventions and practices. joelwong@indiana.edu

After working for 25 years as an educator in the private sector, Alda joined the Guiare team as Director and copartner in 2014. Since then, she has dedicated her time designing and implementing workshops as well as preparing the academic materials to complement the current national pedagogical strategies.She works closely with the Costa Rican Department of Education doing staff development for public school preschool teachers around the country. She is convinced that by improving the quality of public education, she can positively contribute to the reduction of the wide socio-economic gap present in Costa Rican society.https://www.amigosofcostarica.org/LinkedIn: Alda CañasFB: Alda Cañas

Marie Cardona is an environmental engineer and has been working in consulting for over 20 years. A California native, she divides her time between the U.S. and Canada, currently residing in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her passions include travel, music, photography, social activism, and hoarding coffee mugs.

Sharon Latkovich Valente, Ph.D., is the Assistant Director of Curriculum Assessment and Evaluation, within the Master in Physician Assistant Studies Program at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University. She has taught across multiple disciplines and has extensive experience in assessment along with her background in quantitative and qualitative research projects in assessment and accreditation. But her most important title is as mother to Peter and Kevin, both of whom were adopted from Russia.

Romero Jalomo is the Vice President for Student Affairs at Hartnell College. He has served in this capacity for over nine years. Hartnell College is located in Salinas, California and serves approximately 14,000 students in the Salinas Valley.

Her real name is Laura, but she's better known as @thedivememe on social media. Since always, she has been fascinated by the underwater world. Already as a little girl, she started diving in the lakes and rivers of Switzerland, where she's from. Growing up, her passion for nature led to a degree in molecular biology, but her addiction to water never faded. During the pandemic, trying to bring a smile to her family despite the distance and the situation, she founded an Instagram page called '@thedivememe'. The jokes tackling the struggles of scuba divers' lives quickly arouse many more people's interest than expected. Now, after almost two years, she connected with several thousands of divers from all around the world.

"Don't live life in a vacuum."A graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, Ashley captained the tennis team her senior year and graduated with a B.A. in English in 1986. A college internship in Washington D.C. led to a position as a Trip Coordinator in the Office of Presidential Advance following graduation. At the close of the Reagan Administration, Ashley was offered a position at the Department of Housing and Urban Development working in Jack Kemp's Office of Public Affairs. Ultimately, however, Ashley's sense of family duty kicked in, and she returned home to California to work in the family's fledgling wine business, marry and start a family.

Tara Goines grew up in Southern California, attending several different elementary schools because of being a foster child. She went on to complete her Bachelor's degree at CSUN majoring in Business Law. Reflecting on her positive influences in school, she decided to get her multiple subject teaching credential and taught grades TK-8 for the next several years in the Antelope Valley. Realizing she had knowledge and experiences to share with her peers, she became a district instructional coach for the Lancaster School District and supported the NGSS Shift, joining LACOE in their rollout. She also supported Math common Core instructional shifts and English Language Development structures and systems. More recently, Tara became an administrator for the Early Childhood Education program in Lancaster and works alongside her Director, Kelly Fountain and Coordinator, Linda Brown. Together they are preparing the way for UTK in their district.

"See challenges as an invitation to innovate." Adam Woods is moving into his 17th year of Science Engineering teaching at Segerstrom High School in Santa Ana, CA. Adam has spent the past 8 years developing and maintaining the first Aerospace Engineering Pathway in Orange County, which consists of 3 successive Engineering courses designed to better prepare underrepresented students for STEM majors at the college level. Adam's passion for STEM education includes a deep commitment to leveling the playing field for young women pursuing Engineering or Computer Science. Adam has been a club advisor for “Girls Who Code”, “Sisters In Engineering”, and the Cal Poly Pomona “Femineer” program – all with the goal of closing the gender gap in technical professions. Looking into the future, Adam hopes to one day implement Environmental Engineering at his school site and create a synergetic Aerospace, Environmental Computer Science Academy.David Rhodes co-presented with Dr. Mark Ellis at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) annual Boston conference regarding detracking the 7th-grade mathematics classes at Lathrop. Their presentation is titled "We Must Stop Sorting Students": One Teacher's Experience with Detracking. David's personal qualities of being reflective and collaborative make him a good team player and student advocate. Understanding that one can never stop learning, he seeks opportunities to improve his ability to teach and demonstrates a strong responsibility for the teaching profession by mentoring teachers, parents, and students to not only advocate for themselves but always be learning.

Nikole Lim is a speaker, educator, and consultant on leveraging dignity through the restorative art of storytelling. She is the founder and international director of Freely In Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping survivors and advocates to lead in ending sexual violence through their rewritten stories. If you'd like to check out their initiative and get involved, go tohttps://www.freelyinhope.org/hope-circle/ Here, you can become a hope circle member as a monthly donor to work towards anti-sexual violence.

Christianne is a 4th-grade teacher at Westmont Elementary, a VAPA school in Ocean View School District in Huntington Beach, California. After receiving her bachelor's degree in Theatre, and years of touring the world and living out of a suitcase, Christianne realized she needed to do something more and wanted to make a difference. So, she went back to school earning her teaching credential and Master of Education degree from Cal State, Fullerton, graduating in December of 2020. Student teaching both before and during a worldwide pandemic prepared Christianne for one of the most trying times in education as there have been many hurdles during her first year of teaching. Christianne truly believes her students are going to change the world.

The mission of the 306 Foundation is to help build healthy communities. That goal is realized through a program created in 2013 called Toolbox4Life. Offered in three trimesters, these holistic construction and culinary training programs are free of charge to students coming from domestic violence, human trafficking, addiction behaviors, mental health challenges, incarceration, and/or those without a permanent home. The model is entirely volunteer-based; the model brings together a wide continuum of demographics within the Central Florida community to grow and learn from one another.

Matt Reynolds is a high school visual art teacher in southwest Ohio. He earned his BS in Art Education with an ELL endorsement from Olivet Nazarene University in 2012 and his MFA in Visual Arts from Jacksonville University in 2019. He works with his wife, Sarah, in the district where they and their two children live in.

Samantha is the Director of Education at Plastic Oceans. Her bachelor's is from the University of Michigan - Dearborn in environmental studies where she focused on environmental education and is currently pursuing her master's in public health at Wayne State University. She provides environmental education for both youth and adults and specializes in waste management and reduction best practices.

Dr. Lelemia Irvine is kupukaaina, a lineal descendant from the aboriginal families that sprouted out of the land of Waiʻanae. Notably, Dr. Irvine is the first Native Hawaiian kāne to earn a PhD in any engineering discipline at UH Mānoa and is the first appointed Physics faculty at the University of Hawaiʻi—West Oʻahu. In general, his research interests involve Water—Indigenous Knowledge—STEM education nexus. Specifically, his research thrives on interdisciplinary collaborations with a special focus on (i) Indigenous grounded STEM-oriented Education, (ii) water sust-ʻāina-bility and (iii) natural and biological applications and implications of environmental physics.

Currently living in New Orleans, William Butler has been writing since the 1950's and has been published in various literary journals as well as publishing several volumes of poetry and a book of short fiction. He continues to explore the depth and width of the human heart through his poetry. His belief in nature and in personal experiences are driving forces in his writing.

Meleah Follen is the Youth Engagement Director for Healthy Community Initiative (HCI). In this role she oversees all aspects of Northfield YouthBank, and coordinates 90+ youth in their service on local boards and commissions through the Youth on Boards program. YouthBank is a youth philanthropy program and the Youth on Boards program facilitates authentic youth voice throughout the Northfield community by placing youth on Boards, Commissions and Committees throughout the community.. She also serves as the staff lead for the Northfield Promise Social Emotional Learning Impact Team, an Adult Advisor for Students Supporting Students and a team member of the Northfield Racial and Ethnic Equity Collaborative.

Anupama (Uh-noo-puh-maa) Joshi (Zo-shee) is a Professor of Child Development at California State University, Dominguez Hills. She has been a member of the higher education faculty for over 20 years and briefly served in higher ed administration. As a researcher she is most interested in understanding how our knowledge about children's development is shaped by how we study it. Her broad area of interest is social development.

Gabi is an active participant in today's youth athletics and education. She is a survivor of a hit and run accident that nearly took her life four years ago. Since then, Gabi has used that experience to help encourage and motivate others in all areas of life.

Regina Martinez - Emergency Medicine Doctor, Mexican National Team Cross-Country Skiier, and activist.Regina was born in Mexico City but has lived all over including 6 states in the US and Costa Rica. Along with her family, she is an immigrant to the U.S. She pursued the American Dream with dreams of becoming the first doctor in her family. She attended Baylor University for undergrad (BS Biochemistry, minors World Affairs, Medical Humanities, and Biology). She obtained her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology with a certificate in Health Policy at Columbia University in NY. For medical school, she attended the University of Minnesota. Now she is in her first year of residency specializing in Emergency Medicine in Miami, Florida. She was introduced to cross country skiing 3 years ago while attending medical school in Minnesota. Initially, this was a hobby to get her through the cold and long winter months. However, when she realized that no Mexican woman had ever qualified for the Olympics in this sport, she decided to take advantage of the opportunity and decided to give it a try. When she was little she was always a hyperactive kid. She played competitive soccer year-round, swimming in the summer, and basketball in the winter. She played soccer in college but retired after sophomore year to focus on her studies. To stay fit, she signed up for the challenge of doing a marathon and kept running since. Her other interests include: dancing, globe-trotting on a backpacker's budget, thrift shopping, space medicine, global health and diversity, inclusion, and equity in medicine and winter sports.

Barbie The Welder is an American metal sculptor, published author of 6 books, and advocate for the skilled trades from Erin, NY. Even though she had no business experience or professional art education, Barbie's unique, self taught style of creating sculptures quickly threw her into the spotlight on social media where she caught the eye of individuals and major corporations alike. To date she has designed and created sculptures for The American Welding Society, Miller Welders, Chicago Pneumatic, Harley Davidson, Carolina Shoe Company, and exclusive clients in 15 countries.Barbie The Welder has inspired and taught thousands of people to weld art through her books, metal art welding kits, and her YouTube channel.Barbie has welded sculptures live for audiences at shows and events including Americade Motorcycle Rally, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and SEMA Show in Las Vegas.

Nick is currently a part-time lecturer and Ph.D. student at Chapman University in Orange, California, where he will be starting the fourth semester in the Education and Leadership Studies Program. After graduating high school in 2002, Nick joined the United States Navy and served on active duty for 12 years as a Chief Information Systems Technician. While serving in multiple overseas tours and deployments, he pursued his Bachelors of Science in Sports and Health Science and took a leap of faith to follow his passion of helping others in the Navy Reserves. Upon separation from active duty service, he realized that he didn't know himself really well so he utilized his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to obtain a Masters in Leadership Development. Trying to navigate the civilian world, Nick struggled to find his calling and decided to recommence his active duty service as a recruiter. During his recruiter tour, he was mobilized to Djibouti, Africa, and immediately started his Ph.D. program upon arrival stateside. Nick is a diehard beach volleyball player, a student veteran advocate, and a passionate person who loves helping people find and connect with their heartfelt mission.

Peter Schulz is a junior at Indiana University majoring in supply chain, sustainable business, and international business, a member of the Indiana football team, and a member of the alpha kappa psi business fraternity. He is most recently known for selling out the Bloomington comedy attic. He is the lightest offensive lineman in the power 5. You can see his stand-up on Jan 27, 2022, at the Comedy Attic, Bloomington, Indiana.

"Where else than education, can you change the world?" ~ Dr. Reynolds is a retired public school teacher and university professor. She taught 7th and 8th-grade students with special needs, mostly students with learning difficulties and behavioral issues, for 34 years. She then retired to teach at a small Christian university to help launch and teach in a Special Ed Teacher Ed program. In May 2020 she retired once again and is now enjoying traveling throughout the country and Europe to visit her seven grandchildren.

Dr. Ebony Williams is a tenure-track Assistant Professor at California State University, Sacramento, in the Marriage Couples and Family Counseling program. In addition, some of her duties included being a member of Sac State's Division of Inclusive Excellence, a mentor for the Cooper Woodson College mentorship program and McNair's Scholars program—assisting with undergraduate student research projects. Dr. Williams is also California Faculty Association (CFA) department leader.

"Give a Voice to the Voiceless" Anthony Solorzano is an independent filmmaker whose debut film, "Varsity Punks" was a homegrown project shot in El Monte, CA. Recently, he has expanded his visual storytelling skills by directing music videos, commercials, and short documentaries. His style likes to push on cultural boundaries by celebrating the underrepresented subcultures of society, especially of those where he grew up -- the San Gabriel Valley.

“Think about where can this fit and will it benefit my students, my kid, my parents...”Samuel Keoleian, a rising Junior at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business from Michigan. He is passionate in both education and the capital markets. He has taken leadership opportunities to develop and spread financial literacy and investment know-how. Since starting college he has started a personal finance and amerlierisation club, and joined Envision Capital Management Group, a student-run nonprofit investment fund that he currently runs.

"People should share their stories more."Natalie Price is a senior on the Indiana Track and Field Team. She is an Elementary Education major and a Counseling minor. She is about to go into her student teaching. She is also a Court Appointed Special Advocate for Monroe County.

"Serve and give back. Create change, even if it's a small change."~Dr. Regine Muradian is a licensed clinical psychologist, children’s author, speaker, consultant and mental health advocate. In her clinical practice, Dr. Muradian works with children, adolescents, and adults who present with a wide range of emotional stressors. In her consulting work, Dr. Muradian has spearheaded a variety of workshops not limited to positive parenting, leadership and employee satisfaction, communicating effectively, and often presents on a wide variety of topics. Dr. Muradian is a published children’s author. Her first book, Franky and the Worry Bees was released during the pandemic as she found children and teens were having a difficult time connecting and staying motivated over zoom. She has two more books as part of her Franky series coming out in 2021 titled, Franky and His Homeschool Adventures and Franky and His Special Talent.Her website: www.reginemuradian.comShe is also the cofounder of team project rise which is focused on mental advocacy and legislation change www.teamprojectrise.comInstagram: @dr.reginemuradian

" You can't think your way through figuring life out, you have to live your way to figuring life out."Dr. Sarah Sicher is a double board certified Psychiatrist trained to treat psychiatric issues across the lifespan including early development, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. She strives to take an integrated, whole-person approach and offers a variety of services including assessment and diagnosis, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and a combination of therapy and medication management in her practice.

"Envision, dream, and try to improve the human condition"Ellen Junn is the 11th president of California State University, Stanislaus and has a remarkable and extensive 35-year history with the CSU, having worked at five other CSU campuses prior to joining Stan State. President Junn earned a bachelor’s degree in experimental and cognitive psychology from the University of Michigan and obtained both a master’s and Ph.D. in cognitive and developmental psychology from Princeton University. She is widely published and has written numerous peer-reviewed research and journal articles on topics, such as supporting the success of underserved students, the importance of university-community engagement and strategies for supporting non-tenure-track faculty -- especially women and minorities, as well as promoting innovative teaching strategies. She is the first Korean-American woman president appointed in the US to a four-year public institution. Her husband is a retired physicist, and her son and his wife are faculty in the History department at Brandeis University.

"Best effort, stay ready, never quit!"David Rhodes has been a middle and high school mathematics teacher in Santa Ana Unified School District for the past 16 years, earned his credential and Masters from Cal State Fullerton School of Secondary Education. He has been an intramural coach, union representative, school site council president, and is currently club advisor for two clubs: Rainbow Jags (GSA) and Gold Ribbon (Pediatric Cancer). David advocates strongly for equitable educational opportunities for all students. Working in a high-need urban Santa Ana intermediate school, David has been developing strategies that engage students in making sense of mathematics and strengthen their knowledge of foundational topics. He frequently looks for ways to extend both his students’ knowledge of mathematics and his own teaching skills.

"Truth is truth. It doesn't matter who's voice it is.""You can make a change regardless of age. You can change your mind, but whatever you choose, do it with your whole heart."Sarah’s BioSarah Laidir is an international attorney and a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force Reserve. She has served the Air Force in various capacities for the last 17 years and specializes in international contract law and international human rights law. She is also an advocate for women’s rights globally.Nichole’s BioNichole was born and raised in southeast Michigan. She is the second of three children having an older brother and younger sister. Nichole spent lots of quality time with her siblings, parents and other relatives growing up through sports to include basketball and track and field. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2014 and was commissioned as a Logistics Officer in the Air Force that same year. She has been on active duty for 7 years and will be taking her next assignment to be a ROTC instructor at her alma mater this summer.We need to take a moment to add a small disclaimer. Sarah and Nichole are members of the United States Air Force, and will be discussing their experiences in the military. Any views expressed are their own and are not the opinions of the United States Air Force.

Dr. Stephanie Chalk is a mental health counselor, adjunct professor, and psychology technical writer. Stephanie specializes in trauma, disability, and multiculturalism. She recently completed her dissertation on the connections between individualism and collectivism, posttraumatic growth, and coping during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cristina Zenato, a professional diver since 1994, Cristina is an ocean and cave explorer, a shark behaviorist, photographer, speaker, writer, and conservationist.Cristina believes in the power of education and uses her writing and speaking to empower women, inspire younger generations, and teach about conservation. Cristina is a member of the Explorers Club, The Women Divers Hall of Fame, and Ocean Artists Society, and she is the founder of the nonprofit People of the Water.

Kathryn Cloward is a purposeful storyteller who’s earned national praise for her award-winning Kathryn the Grape® Affirmation Series of books and music. Through her illustrated likeness of Kathryn the Grape, she provides a treasure box filled with positive and affirming tools of love for children and adults to use together. An award-winning author, songwriter and entrepreneur, Kathryn is passionate about creating and sharing heart-centered mindful media with positive and empowering messages for people of all ages to enjoy. She is on a mission to ripple love, compassion, and unity throughout the world.Bio info at these two links:https://kathrynthegrape.com/pages/about-kathryn-the-grapehttps://kathryncloward.com/professional-bio/

Stephen Hauck is a Police Officer in Southern California for the City of Glendora. He’s worked patrol for four years and is a force instructor for the department. In high school he started and EdActs club, played sports and the trumpet. He received a music scholarship to go to college where he also worked as a Police Cadet. He is currently finishing his Bachelor’s Degree from California Baptist University in Business Management - Operations Management.

Nikita Ganatra is the owner of Kumon Math and Reading Center in Foothill Ranch, California which she started in 2013. Her experience in K-12 over the past 15 years spans various K-12 educational settings - teaching and learning from kids of all ages. She holds a Masters in Education from CSU Fullerton where she also received her credentials as well as Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies.

Dr. Mark L’Esperance is a professor and dean of James Madison University’s College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He has presented and published extensively at the state, national, and international levels on issues of school reform. L’Esperance has worked with public-school systems in coaching hundreds of administrators related to strategic planning and instructional leadership in low wealth schools. The College he directs currently has more than 100 full-time faculty and staff, 187 part-time faculty, 1,300 students in teacher licensure programs, and over 30 initial licensure programs.

Stacy Hurst is an assistant professor of Teacher Education at Southern Utah University. She has degrees in Sociology and Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Education. Her extensive experience also includes teaching first grade and serving as a reading specialist. Stacy is the co-author of a foundational literacy program, and is the Chief Education Officer at Reading Horizons; an educational software company that teaches structured-literacy concepts through a blended software and direct instruction approach. Stacy is passionate about literacy and believes that learning how to read well is a civil right.

Tiana is currently a 3rd grade teacher at George Washington Academy in St. George, Utah, where she is in her 9th year as an elementary education teacher. After earning her bachelor’s degree in 2012 at Southern Utah University, she left her small Utah town and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. There she taught 3rd grade at a Title 1 school, Paul Culley Elementary, for two years. Afterwards, she took a job at a charter school called Somerset Academy Sky Pointe teaching 2nd grade. After 4 years in Nevada, she made her way back to Southern Utah and to 3rd grade and began teaching at another charter school called George Washington Academy. Since moving back to Utah, Tiana married her husband and has a two year old daughter. Some of her passions outside of education include reading suspense thrillers, traveling, boating with the family, and all things Harry Potter and Disney.

Tracey Greenwood is married to Jeff who is also a teacher and has two children: Lucas (11 yrs) and Alyssa (6 yrs). They live in the seaside community of Maraetai which is in East Auckland, and is a Learning Designer and Learning Coach at Ormiston Junior College.@TraceyTait1