I grew up in the desert, in the hot San Bernardino/Rialto area, located an hour east of Los Angeles. After graduating from high school, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia to attend Morehouse College, an all-male historically black liberal arts college. After completing my BA in African American Studies I intended to return to Southern California to work at my high school alma mater. However, intrigued by Branson's Gallard Fellowship and commitment to diversity and community service, I planned to take a one-year detour that has suddenly turned into 18. In addition to working in admissions, I play an active role in our inclusion/diversity initiatives. When I'm not at Branson, I'm spending time with my family and doing ministry in West Oakland. While I strive to be an all-around nice guy, I apologize in advance for the trash-talking alter ego that take over from April to June (aka NBA Playoffs time).GO LAKERS and WARRIORS!

I am a true Northern California girl, whose roots go back six generations in San Francisco! Although my entire family lives in the city, I was raised with my brother in Sonoma County.

If it's sunny outside, you can catch me canoeing, backpacking, or just playing around in the outdoors. Despite my active lifestyle, I do have a passion for California cuisine, especially when it comes to figs, risotto, and chocolate mousse...yum!

As a member of the first graduating class at Sonoma Academy, I hold a special place in my heart for private education and independent schools. After graduating, I continued to give back to SA by teaching a performance class and chaperoning class retreats, while also pursuing my BA in Theatre at Colorado College with a minor in Urban Art.

Once I graduated college and entered the real world, I worked for four years as a recruiter for a summer camp company and directed one of their summer camps in Marin. In my seventh year at Branson, I could not be more thrilled to be a part of this community and work with the students. I look forward to getting to know the new families and supporting you through this exciting process!

Born to a Japanese mother and American father, I spent the first nine years of my childhood in London; the latter half of my childhood was spent in Marin County. I attended The Branson School for high school along with my twin brother, John. After graduating from Branson, I completed my freshman year at Cal but decided to transfer to a school on a little island in the Pacific. I spent the remainder of my undergraduate years earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawai’i in English and Political Science while also competing on the Varsity Sailing Team (go Rainbows!). After completing my bachelor’s degree, I continued to pursue my love of Education by earning a master’s degree in English from Western Washington University, a master in teaching and single subject teaching credential in English from Seattle University, and a master’s degree in Education from UC Davis. In graduate school, I taught college composition courses and was a teaching assistant for a range of undergraduate and graduate Education courses. I also taught middle school English for several years in both Renton School District and Oakland Unified School District. I have always had a strong passion for learning and teaching and have been very fortunate to be able to pursue many different avenues within the field of Education. When not at Branson, I have several hobbies that keep me busy; I share my love of sailing, gardening, and reading science-fiction and fantasy with my husband. We also spend lots of time on dog walks with our dog Hugo and are found regularly entertaining our three cats Penny, Bombay, and Frisky. I am very excited to be part of The Branson Admissions Team and proud to be a Branson alum!