Born and raised in New York City, I grew up with a mother who had me at 19 years old. Despite having to raise a young child, my mother continued to pursue a college education, and eventually went on to provide the gift of education others. Growing up with a role model who started an alternative high school for at risk students, education was always a very important endeavor for me. After graduating from Yale University, I joined Teach for America Miami-Dade where I taught U.S. History at Miami Central. Discontent with my limited scope in the classroom, I am now the Dean of Culture at Jose de Diego Middle School - a school currently undergoing a massive transformation under new leadership. It is with great honor and humility that I embark upon this journey to help rethink culture, classroom management, and discipline in a school that has a reputation that doesn't truly represent the potential of its students.