USC is the reason that I came to California.  It was the only college I applied to so I was glad I got in!  I earned all three of my degrees from USC (B.A. in '85, MSW in '87, Ph.D. in '95). I worked for the University for 8 years, and have been teaching there for over 30 years at the School of Social Work.  I was President of the Alumni Association twice, and have worked on numerous boards and committees. My experiences working at the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative Pre-College Enrichment Academy and Family Development Institute, taught me a lot about  what students and families need to achieve academic success.   The most valuable thing that I learned was the importance of attending to socio-emotional issues and using positive youth development and strengths-based interventions from a trauma-informed perspective. These experiences influence my platform and inform my priorities for our district.  

​