Spring 2025

Happy 2025! After an exciting end of the year learning and sharing about promoting positive social-emotional and mental health for youth in schools, I'm looking forward to a series of events this spring where I will have the opportunity to engage in more dialogue and learning with other youth educators and advocates, including:​​​​​

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• In January, as a guest speaker for CASEL's virtual meeting, "Supporting One
  Another through Uncertainty."
   

• In March, at the Massachusetts Social, Emotional, & Behavioral Academy's Spring Convening.
   

• In April, at the 4th Annual Suicide Research Symposium Virtual Meeting, presenting findings from our study, Feasibility of A Multi-Tiered Suicide Prevention Initiative for Schools.
   

• In May, at the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)'s Biennial Meeting, discussing "Elevating Youth Voices in Educational Research" for a conversation roundtable entitled, Co-Constructing the Bridge to Action through Applied Partnerships, with 3 most incredible "frolleagues" (friend-colleagues).

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I'm deeply grateful for every opportunity to engage in conversation and learn from others who care about promoting youth wellbeing. Here's to a prosperous and healthy year as we forge ahead with ensuring that all children and youth know they belong just as they are!​

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November - December 2024

It was a privilege to be in community with SEL leaders & educators at the CASEL SEL Exchange 2024 Conference. I had the opportunity to share findings from our student belongingness study and ways to promote it equitably in schools and classrooms. You can find the slides and resources we shared HERE!​​​​​​​​
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In December, I had the privilege of sharing about our work in school-based suicide prevention at the 2024 Annual Conference on Advancing School Mental Health alongside our partners at North Central Health Services. I also got to meet colleagues of the newly launched Mental Health Literacy Collaborative Interstate Workgroup. Finally, colleagues and I also shared what we're learning about how to promote youth digital wellness in schools. Learn more about our work and access shared resources by visiting our event page at edc.org.

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Excited to continue promoting mental wellness for youth in schools through these efforts!

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August - September 2024

Thrilled to be sharing my first lead-author publication in the Journal of Child & Family Studies: Early Life Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences and SchoolReadiness Among Preschoolers with Disruptive Behavior. Check out K-12 Dive's brief about the study. So grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the conversation about supporting young children and their families in both academic and applied spaces! 

My favorite takeaways from this paper are: 1) the reminder to us that context matters in understanding how children and families respond to and navigate living in chronic adversity; and 2) that we need to push ourselves to consider how young children with behavioral concerns--ESPECIALLY those who are living in very challenging circumstances--are often just as much in need of coping supports as they are of behavioral supports in the transition to kindergarten and preschool!

June 2024

Thrilled to share that I'll be heading to Chicago, this November, to present a research-practice session at CASEL's 2024 SEL Exchange Conference. My EDC SEB Academy colleague and I will be presenting a session based on my latest research study, "We're not exactly best friends, but we're not mean to each other": Student experiences with sense of belonging in upper elementary school classrooms. We'll be discussing ways to engage a systems-based perspective to promote belongingness in schools, centered on equity. Excited to share what we are learning on the topic of belongingand how we can put what we're learning into practice in classrooms and schools!

May 2024

One of my current areas of research, related to student & educator wellbeing, is focused on improving our understanding about sense of belonging (sometimes called 'belongingness') in schools. We recently completed our study of students' experiences and are drafting a scientific manuscript in which we center their voices and share what makes them feel valued at school. The title is one of my faves: "We're not exactly best friends, but we're not mean to each other": Student experiences with sense of belonging in upper elementary school classrooms. Grateful to these students for sharing their brilliant insights with us!

November 2023

In November, I attended the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies' (ISTSS) 39th meeting in Los Angeles. I presented my work on ACES and School Readiness and had the opportunity to meet and learn from colleagues in the field of trauma and resilience. The best part was having the support of my beautiful sister in person as I presented my original research! My family's support of my educational and professional trajectory has been the wind beneath my wings.

September 2023

I'm excited to share that as I work to complete my doctoral studies at FIU, I have transitioned from the FIU Clinical Science (CSCAP) training program to the Applied Social & Cultural Psychology  (ASCP) program and the NAFASI Lab, led by Dr. Stacy Frazier. I am grateful for the clinical training I received with CSCAP and Dr. Katie Hart, as a member of the School READY Lab and FIU Center for Children & Families, and look forward to integrating my clinical training into my work in applied research with a focus on youth mental health prevention and wellbeing.

July 2023

I'm thrilled to share that I'm headed to Los Angeles, CA, this November to present my original research atthe 39th Annual Meeting for the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies: Early Life Exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences and School Readiness Among Preschoolers with Disruptive Behaviors. 

March 2023

I am excited to join the Education Development Center as a Senior Training & Technical Assistance Associate, supporting community partners in the areas of early childhood wellness through the First 10 initiative, school-based suicide prevention efforts, social-emotional learning, and program evaluations. My happy place is building my skills and knowledge through my continued training in graduate school and applying what I learn, while also learning from community experts & collaborators. Thrilled for all the learning ahead!