About Me

As a Seattle native, it is no surprise that I am an avid hiker, paddle boarder, or budding bird watcher. It is my love of languages, however, that brought me into the field of education and continues to push me to write and design educational and commercial materials. While I have moved away from directly teaching languages, I still hold a passion for crafting messages that help people reach their goals.

A Foundation in Audience Empathy

With seven years of experience as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and four years in educational assessment, I have dedicated my career to helping learners reach their full potential. My background in language instruction has given me deep insight into how adult learners acquire and apply new skills, while my work in assessment has strengthened my ability to design effective learning evaluations. Holding a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), I have built a strong foundation in curriculum development, assessment methodologies, and instructional strategies that support diverse learners.

This foundation has guided my ability to create content of all types with a strong empathy for my audience and their needs. Just as a teacher must understand the challenges of her students, I create content and design solutions through the lens of who will be using it and (perhaps more importantly) "How will this go wrong?"

Objective-Driven Content Design

My passion for education extends beyond the classroom, and into the world of academic testing and educational content creation. While working as an assessment development specialist, I found great fulfillment in designing exams that accurately measured the competencies learners needed to demonstrate. The process of working backward from understanding learners' required language skills to creating meaningful assessments deepened my appreciation for structured, goal-oriented learning experiences. This interest, combined with my love of problem-solving, has drawn me toward the field of instructional design, where I can apply my expertise to develop engaging and effective learning solutions.

I have also taken this perspective into more commercial digital content design. As a freelance social media manager, I have helped small businesses to identify how they can take their first steps into marketing and create a voice for their brand that resonates with their customers. In my work with these businesses, I have helped them understand their goals, developed social media content solutions, and measured the effectiveness of content.

As I move forward in my career, I aim to expand my impact by transitioning into learning and development, with a focus on instructional design. To prepare for this shift, I have worked to bridge the gap between traditional school-based instruction and the frameworks of instructional design, equipping myself with the necessary skills to create high-quality learning experiences in various settings. I am excited to apply my background in education and assessment to new challenges, designing innovative learning solutions that empower individuals to grow and succeed.