ABOUT ME

I grew up believing that education could change a life—because it changed mine. Some of my earliest memories are of sitting in classrooms where teachers didn’t just teach subjects; they taught me how to think, how to ask questions, and how to imagine a future bigger than the one I could see. Those experiences shaped everything that followed. I’ve spent my entire career trying to give that same feeling to others.

A Life in Education

I started as a teacher, learning very quickly that students don’t remember every lesson—but they remember how you made them feel. They remember whether you believed in them. They remember whether school felt like a place where they belonged.

Over the years, I moved into school leadership and later into higher education, eventually serving as a community college dean. Each role deepened my belief that education is one of the most powerful tools a community has. Not because of degrees or credentials, but because of the way learning can help people see themselves differently.

I’ve been fortunate to help build programs, improve systems, and support faculty and staff who care deeply about their students. The work hasn’t always been easy, but it has always felt meaningful.

What I’m Doing Now

At this stage of my career, I’m thinking more about the deeper purpose of education—what it means to think well, to lead well, and to build communities grounded in curiosity, wisdom, and service.

A lot of that exploration happens through Deep Thinker Lab, where I write about thinking, leadership, culture, and the future of learning. It’s where I can slow down and reflect on what I’ve seen, what I’ve learned, and what still needs to change.

I also host the Purpose Driven Educator Podcast, where I talk with people who are doing the hard, hopeful work of shaping the next generation.

Why This Matters to Me

I believe education should help people become more than they expected—more confident, more capable, more curious, and more connected to their communities. That’s why I’m drawn to topics like the history of Black education. These stories remind us that learning has always been intertwined with freedom, identity, and justice—and that what we do today can echo for generations.

What Keeps Me Going

The truth is simple: I care about helping people learn in ways that transform them.
Whether I’m writing, teaching, speaking, or leading, that’s what motivates me.

• Every student who finds their voice.

• Every educator who feels seen.

• Every leader who chooses clarity over chaos.

• Every person who learns to think more deeply and live more intentionally.

That’s the work I want to spend my life doing.