Why I Do What I Do...
A Personal Statement

Throughout my life and professional career my dedication to the belief that education can be a force of social and economic growth has remained undeterred. My professional experiences have been focused on the development of people, helping them discover the farthest reaches of their potential. I have undertaken this work in both the non-profit and commercial sectors. Assuming the seemingly diverse roles of corporate fitness coordinator, training manger, doctoral counselor to corporate development specialist; I have had the opportunity to learn and grow. I have utilized educational principles and pedagogy in a wide array of circumstance. I have personally witnessed the transformative power that knowledge can have in the lives of people, regardless of their national origins, cultural roots or demographic demarcations. As a result I have been transformed by the very same principles in which I try to encourage in the learners with whom I have worked. This constant search for growth and development of human agency I believe is the key to strong communities and economies.

As a youth growing up in a military family, I have lived in many places both at home and abroad. I grew up with a large spectrum of what this world is and can be. This experience directly impacted my outlook on knowledge and learning. I seek to learn from the cultural perspectives of others and refine my approach to teaching and facilitation accordingly. It is my belief that through a larger conceptualization of education, the instruction of individuals and communities can be accomplished in a more effective manner. Horace Mann said it best when he stated that “education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery”. I couldn't agree more.