The next big leap.
You're allowed to think about the worst possible scenario, but you've got to go out there and do something about it.
Jalen Brunson
Following two years at San Joaquin Delta College, I came to the realization that there was something bigger waiting for me. So I pulled up MapQuest on my desktop computer and made a list of all the cities I dreamed of living in and why.
Miami was on the list simply because of the beach and vibes.
New York City represented bright lights, endless energy, and a pace of life that was the complete opposite of my hometown of Stockton, California.
San Francisco held the possibility of living out a long-held, unrealistic dream of somehow experiencing the spirit of the 1960s and 70s of a never-ending celebration of creativity, freedom, and possibility.
As much as I loved those cities, I knew I wouldn't be able to support myself there, even in 2006. So I zoomed out a little farther and landed on a place that wasn't originally part of the dream: Atlanta, Georgia.
I had never been there. I didn't have the money to visit before making the move. My reasoning was simple: it was in the South, so it had to be affordable. I could take care of myself, finish my degree, build a life, and maybe one day return home.
Well, nearly twenty years later, after a long career in education, I have finally found my way back to California. Not exactly San Francisco, but close enough to fulfill a dream that has lived within me for decades. I am grateful to be here in this season of my life, and not the one before it, finally becoming the "big city" California girl I always imagined.
My return to California is rooted in alignment and purpose. I am especially thankful that this chapter began alongside a group of people who think like me, are a little weird like me, and are deeply invested in strengthening a system that has shaped me at the core of who I am.
Over the last year and a half of my career in education, I began noticing a shift. What once felt centered on love, service, and excellence increasingly felt driven by business interests and politics. While I believe politics has a place in education, it should never come at the expense of children and what they deserve.
I saw a shift in priorities, from asking what is best for children to watching how quickly someone could climb the ranks. From pursuing excellence in education to pursuing higher salaries. From digging deeply into data to improve outcomes to working behind the scenes to remove the very people who had dedicated themselves to the work.
It was heartbreaking.
Slowly, it began to reshape how I viewed the system. The direction it seemed to be heading was didn't sit well with me because when you welcome a thousand students into a building every day and give them your all, your impact is ultimately constrained by the decisions of others. Too often, those making the decisions have never stepped foot inside a classroom, and consultants tasked with leading change are evaluating business cases rather than considering the trajectory of the lives they affect.
Being surrounded by like-minded people beyond the walls of my school building — people who share a genuine excitement for and commitment to our children — has given me the hope I needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It has reminded me why this work matters, even when the challenges feel overwhelming.
Taking the leap to pack up my house, leave my animals behind, and trust that I was moving in the right direction no longer fills me with worry. Instead, it fills me with peace. I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, doing work that allows me to use my skills in service of others while reconnecting with an energy that feels uniquely Californian.
We rarely understand in the moment why the road bends left instead of right. But eventually, life has a way of bringing things full circle.
And when it does, there comes a moment when you simply know:
I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
At the core of it all, I wasn't finding my way back to California.
I was finding my way back to my heart's purpose.
About Education Pioneers
The Education Pioneers Summer Impact Fellowship is a leadership development program that connects professionals and graduate students with mission-driven education organizations working to improve outcomes for students. Fellows spend the summer partnering with schools, districts, nonprofits, government agencies, and education-focused organizations on high-impact projects that address some of education's most pressing challenges. Through hands-on experience, professional development, and a national network of leaders, the fellowship equips participants to drive meaningful change across the education landscape.
My Placement: Envision Schools (Oakland, California)