I recently graduated with two masters degree in International Education Management and Public Administration at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS). As a military child, and now as a military spouse, I moved on average every three years throughout my life. I have lived in big cities, small towns, and in countries abroad. Nevertheless, my family is from Virginia and whenever I return home and everyone calls me “darlin’,” I cannot deny my southern roots. I am fascinated by animal behavior, including humans, and prefer rugged nature to big city lights, although I appreciate both. In 2003 I graduated from New College, the honors college of Florida, with a BA in Biology, Psychology, and Theater. After several months spent volunteering as an English teacher in Nepal, I returned to the U.S. and spent an intensive year studying at the Clown Conservatory in San Francisco, CA (no joke). I have since worked in the field of education for over nine years and it is a cause I remain passionate about. I have taught in after-school settings as well as in the classroom. I have taught circus arts and I have worked one-on-one with students with special needs. Additionally, I worked several years as a program coordinator for 4-H designing curriculum, establishing community partnerships, and recruiting students and volunteers. Before attending graduate school in lovely Monterey, CA I lived in Seoul, South Korea for two years where I taught both 9th grade Biology as well as English to college students and businessmen. In my studies I explored the ways that education, in its broadest and most inclusive sense, intersects with peace building, citizen diplomacy and international development. It is my aim to continue investigating and improving the ways that governments and organizations can effectively employ soft power tools such as education to improve capacity and cooperation with strategic partners. To that end, I am not afraid to tap into a wide variety of engagement practices such as improvisation or Theater of the Oppressed. I am currently completing my practicum as the Africa Programs Coordinator at the Center for Civil-Military Relations at the Naval Post-Graduate School (NPS). I am also the co-creator of Spanish in the Community, a tandem language exchange project meant to connect communities across Monterey County. I will be moving to Hawaii in the Spring of 2017 and am actively seeking employment related to my studies and values. I invite you to check out my resume and selected academic work.