Age: 30
Occupation: Prairie Edge Special Education Strategist, College Community School District
What’s the best advice you ever received?
My parents have always encouraged me to chase my dreams and have supported my goals of changing the world.
What do you consider your greatest professional achievement(s)?
Students coming back to tell me that I made a difference in their lives.
What would most people be surprised to learn about you?
While in college I accepted a job offer in Los Angeles. … I realized that I loved the community I grew up in and wanted to stay there to start my career and begin changing the world.
What do you know now that you wish you had known earlier in your career?
I had irrational confidence.
How do you ensure a balance between work and your personal life?
My husband has helped me gain a balance. He supports the work I do … because he knows I love it.
What’s something people should know about your generation in the workplace?
People want to make a difference!
If you had $1 million to give, what causes would you support?Besides my faith, my passion is supporting kids with barriers to success.
What is the biggest issue facing the Corridor?
A gap between the needs and resources for people with disabilities and mental health concerns.
What do you want to accomplish by the time you are 50?
To have some of my former students visit to tell me that they are employed, happy and healthy.
What book are you currently reading?
“Resisting Happiness” by Matthew Kelly.
Who are your local mentors?
Erik Anderson, principal at Prairie High School, Dan DeVore, principal at Metro High School, and my brother, Nate Klein.
