ABOUT ME

Advocate & Educator

I am a Panamanian/Puerto Rican writer, herbalist, and advocate for children’s literacy. Since 2019, I’ve had the great honor of serving as the Executive Director of Teachers & Writers Collaborative, one of the first writer-in-the-schools programs in the country, which has been inspiring young writers in NYC public schools and beyond since 1967.  Along with developing innovative writing programs through T&W, I serve on the editorial board of Teachers & Writers Magazine, which publishes essays, interviews, and lesson plans about the art of teaching imaginative writing.  

Beyond Teachers & Writers, I’m proud to serve the literary field as a steering committee member of the Writers in the Schools Alliance, a board member of the NYC Arts in Education Roundtable, a steering committee member of LitNet, and a member of the education advisory council to the Academy of American Poets.

I taught literature and creative writing at Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and Fordham University. Prior to joining Teachers & Writers, I served as the Director of Communications and Community Relations at LSA Family Health Service and as Communications Manager at Reach Out and Read of Greater New York.  

Writer

I write songs, poems, and fiction, primarily speculative fiction for young readers. In 2017 I participated in Pitch Wars and had the honor of working with wonderful mentors, Tricia Classen and Laura Shovan. Out of that came a manuscript called, MY BROTHER, THE OLMEC, a middle grade romp involving ancient Mesoamerican deities, annoying older brothers, and virgin sacrifices. In 2024, I participated in the Wild Seeds Retreat offered by the Center for Black Literature, where I worked with the inimitable Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. Ever since I was a girl I've remembered my dreams. I believe that just because something isn't real, doesn't mean it's not true! That is the spirit of possibility I try to capture in my writing.

Herbalist

I’ve been studying plant medicine formally since 2020 in the Wild Ginger Community Herbalism Program and in an apprenticeship with herbalist and author Robin Rose Bennett, now in my 2nd year as a clinical apprentice. I forage in and around New York City.

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