I have greatly enjoyed serving on the ACTR board during my first term, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve on the two Olympiada committees. The Olympiada has been a tremendous resource for my students, and they look forward to it every year. I am thrilled to be a part of helping improve some of the Olympiada procedures and materials, while preserving the spirit and integrity of the competition, and honoring the hard work of all who have contributed throughout its history. The Olympiada not only gives my students the chance to showcase their Russian skills in a competition, but it also allows them to tour Rhodes College and become more aware of what it is like to study Russian in college. The experience of attending the Olympiada consistently draws my students closer together as a community, and I am very grateful that we have this wonderful competition. In addition, many of my students have competed in the National Russian Essay Contest over the years, and some have won advanced medals and gone on to study Russian in college. The Essay Contest elevates their writing abilities in ways that are only possible through competition. Furthermore, one of my students was chosen to represent the U.S. at the 2017 International Olympiada in Moscow, and that was a great honor. Her dedication to growing in proficiency was an inspiration to many more of my students, and one of those students also decided to study Russian in college, ultimately completing a major in Russian. In addition, I have loved getting to know the other members of these committees, and it was wonderful to meet many of them in D.C. this fall.

Leadership Experience. How have you been a leader in your community, profession, and/or institution? How have your unique strengths, professional, and volunteer experiences prepared you to serve on the ACTR Board?

Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion. How have you worked to create an inclusive environment in your classroom, workplace and/or community? What is something you have done in professional or volunteer service that demonstrates your commitment to be more inclusive of diverse populations and/or to provide greater access to the study of Russian by diverse populations?

I have been teaching for 15 years and have taught a very diverse population of students. Both of my schools are Title I schools and are predominantly African American demographically. I have taught students from many regions of the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The majority of my students are African American, but my school has a large international student population as well. Several years ago, I collaborated with professors at Rhodes College and our local K-12 teachers of Russian to help restart our regional ACTR Olympiada. I wanted to provide my students with the opportunity to compete and possibly attend the International Olympiada, and I also wanted my students to have a "college experience" for a day. (Many of them have been or will be first-generation college students.) It was a dream come true when my student was chosen to be on the International Olympiada team representing the U.S., and I collaborated extensively with the team coordinators to facilitate her travel because she required a male family member to travel with her. I advocated for her participation, and it was an incredible experience for her. I also helped her complete scholarship applications so she could attend Yale University and study Russian there. She recently became one of the first two Yemeni women to graduate from Yale.

I also regularly write recommendations for my students of diverse backgrounds to help them secure scholarships and college entrance. It has been a great experience this year to be part of the Bridge Building initiative and help my students participate in the Virtual College Fair. In addition, I am the founding sponsor of Central High School's SLAVA chapter and have inducted many students into SLAVA over the years. I greatly enjoy giving my students this opportunity to be recognized for their hard work and dedication, and I love that they are recognized for it with an honor cord upon graduation. Furthermore, I regularly teach my students how to research and find funding for study abroad programs because I want them to dream big and realize that they can thrive beyond the confines of Memphis. I love teaching them how to plan an international trip and identify study abroad programs so that they begin thinking about how they can travel and see the world. 

Contributions to the ACTR Board. How would you like to contribute to the ACTR Board? What strengths, skills, and experience would you bring as an ACTR Board member?

I would like to continue to contribute to the Board through serving on the Olympiada committees. I also am available for editing if that skill is ever needed.

Supporting Documentation for Candidacy