WORKING FOR THE COMMUNITY
I fell in love with the Monterey Peninsula at a young age and knew I would be a lifelong resident. After graduating from high school, I moved to Seaside to attend CSU Monterey Bay, where I received a B.A. in Human Communications.
After my time at CSUMB, I was accepted into law school in San Jose. In 2021, I graduated with a Juris Doctor degree and was awarded the Witkin Legal Institute’s “Best Oral Argument” prize during moot court trials for concisely communicating a legal argument.
Throughout my education, I have been lucky to study abroad. I learned Spanish in San Jose, Costa Rica, in the Summer of 2015, and I took a course through Santa Clara University School of Law in Singapore. In Spring 2019, I studied International Human Rights with the Mississippi School of Law in Merida, Mexico, and I took a course on Comparative Legal Systems in Vienna, Austria. My experiences and travel have given me a broad perspective of government systems in the USA and worldwide.
Since 2015, I have worked in Monterey County and Santa Cruz County schools. I was a substitute teacher and an Independent Studies teacher in South Monterey County. These experiences, as well as raising my own child, have helped me to understand the challenges that families face.
This year marks my 25th year as a soccer referee working with the school districts and youth soccer leagues. As a referee, I must make quick decisions and show leadership during the games. I always enjoy working with young soccer players and watching them grow in the sport. For several years, I coached soccer with the Seaside Police Athletic League. I worked for Coast-to-Coast Soccer, which contracted with local school districts to provide soccer instruction throughout Monterey County Schools.
Volunteering in my community is essential to me. For the past five years, I have served on the Neighborhood Improvement Commission for the City of Seaside, and for three years, I served as Chairman. Commission members are appointed by the City Council and perform at the mayor’s pleasure. I am proud of my accomplishments, including renovating the Sonoma St. Basketball courts, creating the Seaside gateway sign, replacing the Neighborhood Watch Program signs, repainting a PG&E-owned fence in a residential neighborhood, and communicating with residents throughout Seaside.
My studies in various places, and my communications and law degrees will make me a great asset to the Seaside City Council. In addition, my work in the schools and volunteering in the community has helped me to become an advocate for people who live in our community.