What is the work you are representing as a member of the committee?

Mathematics Educator

How does your work contribute to the mental health support balance in the Black community in Iowa?

It aligns with my family core values on mental health. Literally a parallel between my family core values - we go to therapy sessions weekly. My children know that they have opportunity to let us know, "Hey, I need my therapist", we have individual sessions and therapists and family therapy as our main space. That is just the way that I have learned to cope with life for over 30 years. I didn't have my first therapeutic lens until I was out of my parents house and I want my family structure to be different. In doing that work, I currently serve in a middle school classroom and what the school district has identified as at-risk learners. That could be a host of things that could cause a student to be at-risk, it doesn't just mean graduation rate, it could be a host of things. Many students in this setting either personally identify with mental health issues or they know someone who is suffering from mental health challenges in their family. It is my hope to serve as this trauma-informed educator.

Why did you choose to say yes to this committee?

I said yes months before we were contacted. I didn't really ask any questions. When I got that invite, that first initial meeting, providing therapeutic care-what does it look like, from an educator stand point, serving currently the middle school setting ,I have to raise the conscious level of that.

My former immediate supervisor died by suicide and we had just talked. When I learned that, I was very sensitive to that. When having a conversation with my husband, and learning that his colleague had died by suicide all in this same 30-40 day window. When it came to being asked to be on this committee, okay, I can make a difference. I can raise awareness maybe from the educator who served along side with me as my immediate supervisor who was close in age to me. Then this young person of my husband's client was in his teenage years and died by suicide. Clearly there's something that we need to be doing here. Now I have an opportunity to show up, be present and to make a difference.