I founded Ashlar in 2019, and I find great joy in acting as the Director of this close-knit community. I am excited to be returning to the role of Mentor this year as well, working alongside Ms. Erica in ImagiQuest. Ashlar Programs are now in our sixth year, and after five years of hard work, we have built some truly solid programming and formed a team that knows each other intimately.

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My degree is in psychology, I have many years of experience in preschool classrooms, and I have been homeschooling my children for the past 8+ years. Before having children, I worked for a psychiatrist at a residential treatment center for severely emotionally disturbed children. I have a deep interest in human development and behavior, and I am passionate about protecting children and childhood. I believe I was born a child advocate.

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I was also born with an entrepreneur's mind and a creative drive that does not rest. I look at the world and see potential. I am a big proponent of thinking outside the box—or throwing away the box completely. It seems that everything I observe gets filed in my mind as either something that does not work well and needs a creative solution or something that works well and could be adapted to other situations.

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When mainstream education didn’t work well for our family or many families around us, I decided to create a program that did. I am content with the work we have done and the community we have built. My focus is on continuing to support and strengthen our programs, ensuring they remain a place where any child can thrive.

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When I'm not working on Ashlar, you can find me enjoying life with my husband and our three children. I love going on walks with friends, drinking decaf mochas, inventing new recipes or indulging in old favorites, traveling a bit, and spending quiet evenings at home—though those are rare with two teens and a tween in the house! I grew up in the New Mexican desert, so I especially love the rain. As a family, we foster kittens each summer and experiment with gardening, though I’ll admit we have yet to master the patience and dedication it takes to make a dent in our grocery bill with the harvest from our Maple Valley backyard.