She spent 17 years teaching social studies in the Florida public school system. In higher education she worked as Associate Graduate Faculty at Florida Atlantic Education in the doctoral program and as an online facilitator for Broward Virtual University. She completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on reading instruction at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), M.Ed. in Multicultural Education at FAU, and B.A. in Political Science at Emory University. She is certified to teach Social Studies in Texas and Florida, and holds endorsements in Gifted Education, Reading, and English Speakers of Other Languages. She is Nationally Board Certified.