Playing a skinny Santa, whose pillow kept falling out, I was bitten by the bug in 1st grade. Although they were really laughing at me, I just loved making them laugh. Growing up in a poor area, I was hungry for opportunites to perform. I then fell through the cracks of education. After a scattered 10 year career in theatre, I am constantly trying to become the mentor that I never found. I continue to write plays and develop my own work as I teach youth. I believe in the empowering effects of theatre and think this is our purpose as educators, not creating a "Broadway quality" show. Substance over spectacle, and collaboration is key.