Meet our Founder

Leeward was designed out of my desire to provide advocacy for those seeking post-secondary education that may not have support otherwise. Through my own lived experience as a first-generation, low-income, independent student, I understand the challenges and barriers that come with seeking post-secondary education with little support. Through my career in social work, I witnessed firsthand the negative outcomes for foster youth aging out of the child welfare system. I completed a Master of Science in Student Affairs in Higher Education to assist me in being an effective advocate in helping bridge educational attainment gaps for former foster youth. I have extensive experience in trauma-informed care and bring this lens of care into the post-secondary education environment. I am a Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioner and have experience as a kinship foster parent myself. I have worked with independent students at Colorado State University through the Fostering Success Program, which includes former foster youth, houseless youth, and youth with legal orphan status. Through my work with Leeward, I provide highly individualized whole-person advocacy for vulnerable populations with the goal of improving overall well-being and education attainment.