Durham Public Schools PL

2025 Burroughs Wellcome Fund NCCAT Career & Technical Education (CTE) Teacher of the Year

I am an experienced agricultural educator in Durham Public Schools with my primary responsibility teaching Agriscience and Horticulture classes at C.E. Jordan High School. My experience highlights my leadership skills in culturing high-quality Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs for both middle and high school. My strategic work in the classroom is rooted in developing engaging and rigorous instruction, promoting access and equity, working with business and community partnerships, strengthening student career development, and promoting work-based learning for students. These components shape my teaching philosophy.

Prior to my time as an educator, I worked in Washington D.C. developing work experience in international development at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) working for two different USAID projects- Feed the Future Hinga Weze in Rwanda and Feed the Future Agribusiness Investment Activity in Nigeria. My time in this role has given me a valuable global perspective that I carry in my day-to-day life.

My studies include my time as a former graduate teaching and research assistant with a demonstrated history of working in the secondary and higher education industry. I am skilled in Qualtrics, WordPress, Quantitative and Qualitative Research, and Microsoft office. You can find my past research experience in the Journal of Agricultural Education. Today, I am a proven professional who holds a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Education & Communication from the University of Florida and a specialization in Agricultural Leadership. I am a proud University of Florida alumni!