Denver Raised Me, Now I’m Raising the Next Generation Differently

School has always been a meaningful place for me — a space that shaped who I am and inspired my purpose as an educator. I had great teachers and coaches who saw me, people who encouraged and challenged me. But I also saw moments that didn’t sit right. I saw how often Black and brown students were disciplined instead of understood. Some kids were labeled “troublemakers” when, in reality, they just needed someone to understand what was truly happening. 

I attended many schools — Harrington, Columbine, Ellis, Smiley, Rachel B. Noel and NCAS Montbello. Looking back, it feels like almost every school I attended eventually shut down. My schools were being given up on, schools full of Black and brown kids. 

From a young age, I learned that the focus was on punishment and not rehabilitation. In third grade, a teacher dragged me down the hallway. There was no social-emotional learning. No focus on growth or support. Just a system that said, “You’re in trouble.” That’s why I could never treat my students that way — I know what it feels like. 

It’s easy for those on the outside of systems to misrepresent what actually happens. Those perspectives, while shaped by their own understanding, can never tell the whole picture, especially without those who actually live it. Perceptions and misrepresentations erode the incredible work that is and can happen within school buildings. 

Experiences like that opened my eyes to how systems sometimes fail the students they are meant to serve. It made me ask questions about what real support looks like and who gets to feel seen in the classroom. 

That’s part of why I became a teacher. I want my students to feel valued, understood, and inspired — to see themselves in the person at the front of the classroom. When they look at me, they see someone who grew up in the same neighborhoods, went to the same schools, and now leads with love and intention. And that matters.

It wasn’t until college — at the University of Northern Colorado — that I started to see teaching differently. My professors helped shift what teaching could look like: extending empathy, showing love and creating space so we can better serve all kids. Around that same time, I learned about Ednium.

I didn’t really know what to expect, but joining Ednium changed everything. They provided me with a true community — a space where lived experiences drive real change. More than anything, they helped me understand my role and how I can be a leader in the community. I learned how to turn my own story into action and saw that leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about lifting others up and creating paths forward.

Ednium reminded me of what I already had within me — my passion to help others and love for community. Ednium is building the community Denver should have. A community that listens. That heals. That believes young people from this city deserve to lead and thrive in it.

Now, I’m a second-grade teacher at McMeen Elementary. Teaching at McMeen has shown me how empowering certain communities can be. A community that shapes foundational skills instead of discipline, one where teachers support one another authentically, where parents and admin are hands-on to make sure each student is receiving the best experience.

Every day, I think about the support I needed while growing up — and how I can provide that for my students.

I believe in prevention over intervention. That means teaching self-esteem and confidence from an early age. Letting little kids know their voice matters. Because if they can’t see themselves in the learning, there’s no purpose in it.

Through Ednium’s programming, I’ve learned how to take that personal mission even further. They’ve helped me see that empathy equals community and that my experience and voice are important in policy decisions.

Every day, I carry that reminder with me, that while schools may close and systems may fail, community can’t be taken away. In my classroom, I carry that vision of community with me. My students aren’t just learners; they’re the next generation of leaders who will take their experiences and shape the city in their own way.

Ednium gave me the community I was searching for, and reminded me that community isn’t just about showing up for each other or ideating a better vision for the city; it’s about being willing to work hard and taking accountability for the kind of Denver we want to live in.