Champion. Fight. Advocate. Build. Here's what that means.
Hi, friends!
If you've seen my palm card, my website, or any of my campaign materials, you've probably noticed four words: Champion.Fight. Advocate. Build.
Those aren't just words. They're a promise. And I want to take a minute to tell you exactly what each one means to me, and what it'll look like when I'm sitting on the District 10 School Board.
Champion: Mental health.
A child who isn't supported can't learn. That's not a political statement — that's a fact I've seen up close as a mental health professional. Too many of our kids are walking into classrooms carrying weight that no teacher, no matter how talented, can teach around.
As your School Board Member, I'll champion easily accessible mental health resources in every school in District 10. Not as an afterthought. Not a crisis hotline and a referral website standing in for real support. As a foundation: proactive, present, and in the building before a child reaches a breaking point.
Fight: Fair pay for teachers.
Our teachers are the backbone of this community. And right now, too many of them can't afford to live in the community where they serve. That's not acceptable.
Our teachers go above and beyond every single day. They fill the gaps, stretch the resources, and show up for our kids even when they're running on fumes financially in the background. A certificate, a handshake, a kind word, an extra snack during Teacher Appreciation Week…are not enough. Real appreciation is a living wage for Virginia Beach educators. I'll fight for teacher pay that honors what they actually do, so we can keep the best ones right here where they belong.
Advocate: Military-connected children.
1 in 4 students in Virginia Beach City Public Schools is military-connected. That's approximately 16,000 kids navigating deployments, frequent school changes, and in too many cases, grief, while trying to learn.
As a Navy veteran and Gold Star spouse, I know firsthand what those kids are carrying. And I know the difference between a school system that checks a box and one that actually shows up for them. Military-connected students deserve dedicated, trained support in every school that serves them. Real support. Present and prepared before a family ever has to ask for it.
I'll advocate for those kids with the full weight of personal experience. Because they've already sacrificed enough.
Build: All of us.
When I say Build, I mean something specific. I mean a School Board that reflects the full complexity of who Virginia Beach actually is right now. Not just demographically, not just geographically, but generationally.
Raising a school-age child in 2026 is nothing like it was twenty years ago. The mental health landscape is different. The technology is different. The pressures our kids face are different. The cost of living is different. And the families navigating all of it deserve a seat at the table where decisions get made.
Right now, many of the people making those decisions are retired educators and longtime community figures whose children grew up in a different era of Virginia Beach schools. Their experience matters. And so does mine. I'm checking homework, sitting in parent-teacher conferences, and navigating the same system I'm asking to help lead. That perspective isn't just different. It's necessary.
I'm running to Build a school board for 2026, not 1996. Every generation, every neighborhood, every family that calls this city home. All of us.
These are my four starting points. Not because they're the only things that matter, but because they're where I believe we can make the most meaningful difference right now for District 10 families.
I'm not running to manage the status quo. I'm running to move us forward, together.
And the first step for us is June 20th.
Join me at the 2026 Virginia Beach Democratic Local Candidate Caucus:
Saturday, June 20th, 12–3 p.m.
Bow Creek Recreation Center 3427 Club House Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Not sure if you're in District 10? Look it up here: tinyurl.com/VB-Election-District-Lookup
