As an educator and working​ mother, I understand how difficult the past few years have been for Oregon families, individuals and community well-being. ​​I know firsthand the importance of a strong public education, affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and ​environmental stewardship. I am focused on ensuring opportunities both now and into the future​ and I am invested in the livability of our region for generations to come.

Growing up in Tigard, Oregon, I was inspired by my parents and my teachers, who modeled compassion and encouraged me to stand up for what is right. I feel deeply connected to the people, places, and stories that make Senate District 13 so special. I have seen our district grow and change over my lifetime. The farm where I picked blueberries as a child in the 1980s just became a neighborhood last year, the field where I picked dahlias for bouquets in 2004 is at the edge of the Urban Growth Boundary, and the hayride and pumpkin patch where my kids and I frequented in the 2010s is no longer operating and will soon be slated for development. I know this region deserves thoughtful and responsive leadership to protect its natural beauty and offer smart planning as it changes. 

I attended Tigard schools, graduated from the University of Oregon with a French degree and Pacific University with a Masters in Teaching. After student teaching in Yamhill-Carlton and Tigard-Tualatin School Districts, I taught French and Spanish at Tualatin High School, Reading and Special Education in Milton-Freewater​, and ultimately returned to my alma mater Tigard High School to teach world languages once again. My own children attend Wilsonville schools and I am grateful for their teachers and our communities who invest in public education through local bonds and levies. 

I love being an educator, and I am honored to be able to support staff and students in public education in a different way now that I am a legislator. In my seat in the Senate, I want to ensure that our public schools have stable funding from cradle to career and adequate state resources to tackle our most pressing classroom challenges. In my first term, I helped pass the Student Success Act, bringing critically needed investments into our schools to lower class size, increase behavioral health supports and strategically target learning disparities. I will continue work hard to fund the education that our students and teachers deserve.

I will work toward safer communities, logical transportation solutions and necessary environmental protections. I am committed to economic development that values childcare investments and our precious working lands. I am dedicated to advocating for housing solutions, whether for seniors on fixed incomes or tenants facing unimaginable rent increases, and anyone who is trying to stay housed and safe. Being a member of the Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee and the Ways & Means Transportation and Economic Development Committee provide specific opportunities to advocate for a more fair system and bring my constituents' voices to Salem.

I am honored to serve Senate District 13 and I will keep fighting for a healthy, safe future for all Oregonians to thrive.​