Who I Am
Growing up as the son of immigrants in a single parent household, I saw the effects of a segregated society firsthand.
My mother fought like hell to guarantee me the education that I deserved. She taught me the importance of advocacy in the face of inequity, and how much of a difference it makes, knowing that someone believes in you and your worth.
The school that I attended was an entirely different world from the neighborhood where I grew up, even though the two were only a few miles apart. After graduating high school, I attended The George Washington University in D.C. and received a degree in finance. It’s funny — despite studying at one of the most political schools in the nation, I never thought once about entering politics. My passion was for service and education, and that dedication drove me to join Teach for America in the City of St. Louis. That was ten years ago — and I never left.
I moved to St. Louis to teach math. In my first year at SLPS, Trayvon Martin was killed.
I witnessed the effects that a complete lack of belief — both in the system, and themselves — had on my students. They needed to see someone step up and support them every single day, and I did my best to be that person. I knew that the structural problems facing our youth would required more than just the work of one math teacher to tackle, and so I pursued and received my Masters in Curriculum Design from University of Missouri - St. Louis.
In 2014, I joined InspireSTL, a non-profit dedicated to preparing students in the City of St. Louis for rigorous, college-prep environments. I walked the halls of St. Louis middle and high schools, learned from learners and staff alike, helped schools create diversity and inclusion initiatives, and crafted curriculum to support the diverse needs of our city’s students.
My love of St. Louis’ students led me to run for school board in November of 2018.
I didn’t want to run for political gain - I wanted to make my city a better place.
In my first run in 2018, I lost. However, I learned so much about my community, our schools, and myself. My second run was successful, and I served on the SLPS board until 2021. My time with the board was beyond difficult — between the ravages of COVID-19 and hard decisions about closures, the task of serving our city’s students was a challenging and often painful one. But the work was important, and it gave me the opportunity to build relationships and conduct advocacy that would serve the needs of St. Louisans.
I would put those skills and connections to good use throughout one of our city’s most trying times. Immediately before the pandemic, I joined then-Treasurer Tishaura Jones as her Deputy Chief of Staff. I leapt at the chance to serve the people of St. Louis further, and immersed myself in the functions and duties of the office of the Treasurer.