I entered a  teaching position in an urban environment immediately following my graduation. I found during my three weeks of professional development that I was constantly raising my hand and able to give answers to many questions regarding classroom management and content. My background in elementary, exceptional student, ESOL, and reading education has given me an unparalleled and well-rounded wealth of knowledge that has prepared me well to educate a diverse student population.

The opportunities I received through the University of Miami’s PhD in Education gave me the expertise and confidence necessary to take on this role with students in high-needs schools. Through UM’s PhD program in education, I developed a passion for ensuring equitable opportunities for all students to learn mathematics. I love helping to prepare the future generation of teachers by mentoring and supervising my student-teachers in Boston University’s Mathematics Education program.

I am an Assistant Professor of mathematics education at the University of New Hampshire. My time at the University of Miami prepared me for a challenging career analyzing large-scale databases in mathematics education by providing me with several rigorous courses in quantitative research methods. The University of Miami has some of the greatest faculty and one of the most beautiful campuses on earth!

Graduating from the Special Education doctoral program at the University of Miami has thoroughly prepared me to integrate critical pedagogy with special education classroom practices in order to increase relevancy and equity, and has led to a tenure-track position in a prestigious university. The doctoral program afforded many opportunities to design professional development workshops, conduct student-teacher supervision, teach master's degree courses and conduct research, which were key elements in securing my current position.

The training, mentoring and supports I received while pursuing the Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Miami were invaluable to my professional and personal growth. In the competitive world of academia, I was fortunate to have an offer for a tenure-track position before I defended my dissertation. This was possible due to the highly individualized mentorship I received. As a cohort, we were encouraged to publish and present in the largest educational conferences from the first year in the program. I was also given the freedom to explore my own research interests which include the intersection of English language development and Special Education. The pursuit of a doctoral degree should not be taken lightly, but the learning experience that comes with such a rigorous program is worth the effort.