Tell us about yourself: 

 I am a mother of two preschool children and we live in Penfield, NY.  I grew up in the capital district of NY.  I graduated from Troy High School. It’s located in a small city.  I loved going to school so much that I got my doctorate in pharmacy and an MBA.  I believe education is critical to success and that everyone should have access to a quality education. I’ve always wanted to give back to city schools since I graduated from one. 

What brought you to Action for Education Equity?  

The short answer is Laura Smith. Laura and I met while we were pregnant and our children were born days apart from each other.  We became friends and she recruited me with an idea and coincidentally I had been wishing something like this project existed.  I’ve tried to support city schools by donating to organizations like Adopt A Classroom and Donors Choose. I wanted a way to directly donate to District schools which give the District the power to address it’s biggest needs. I couldn’t find that option … until now.  We have created a pathway for donations to come to the schools with no strings attached. 

What have you learned since starting this project?  

This is a complex issue with a simple solution, RSCD needs to be properly funded.  The Rochester City School students deserve funding to get an equitable education to the students in neighboring suburbs . I didn’t realize RCSD is owed so much money each year and that is really the root of the mismanagement and the long term effects of redlining. We have some of the most segregated district borders in the United States.  I realized that one of the most common things people consider when choosing a neighborhood to live is the school district.  I finally started to ask myself why.  Why are there such big differences in the districts?