I was born and raised in Abbotsford, BC, Canada, the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Stó:lō people. Along with my partner, Julie, and our two kids (Landon & Laila), I’m grateful to call this beautiful and diverse community home. 

My interest in education and culture in the Fraser Valley comes from my own range of educational experiences in this place. I’ve seen unity amidst diversity alongside systemic racism and cultural insensitivity. As an educator, I seek to be honest about the problems while being hopeful about the opportunities for change. I believe education can foster healthy local cultural engagement. I’m committed to actively engaging the religious, cultural, political, and socio-economic diversity of this place by supporting marginalized individuals and groups and challenging the ways traditional educational structures perpetuate injustice. 

I am currently engaged in doctoral research at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Education. My research is focused on integrated curriculum development in Fraser Valley higher education that draws from critical place-based and Indigenous land-based education.