I grew up and worked in Chicago to develop Shedd Aquarium’s teen mentorship program, which provided experiential leadership programs for teens. These youth development programs fostered a sense of self, cultivated leadership, life skills training, and provided personal and collaborative opportunities with aquarium professionals, from exhibit designers to veterinarians to dolphin trainers. Additionally, I spent summers mentoring and coaching high schoolers while we lived aboard a research vessel in the Bahamas… snorkeling among the Caribbean fishes and immersing ourselves in Bahamian culture. Students were later able to bridge those experiences back to their everyday lives in Chicago. This approach to learning cemented my desire to provide students with an expanded view of school and a deeper awareness of the world that existed beyond classroom walls. After completing a MS degree from Northeastern University, I joined Beaver for 10 years as a Middle School science teacher and brought my passion for global conservation to the curriculum as well as a meaningful connection to how it relates to the students’ lives. Community engagement, experiential learning, and civic responsibility are at the core of the expanded learning approach that I brought to my work in the Hiatt Center (2014-2021) and to the Upper School science courses I teach: Chemistry, Biology, Marine Ecology, and Neurobiology. I reside in Roslindale with my two daughters, who thrive as Beaver students (Vivian ’26 + Lila ’28).