Q: How did your family and culture influence who you are today?
My family and culture have played a large part in creating the person that I am today. As an Italian American, I come from a culture that can be very male dominated. My parents, however, sought to change that by always pushing me to be whatever I wanted to be. They taught me that traditional boundaries are made to be broken, and that I should never let anything stop me because I am female. They also taught me the power of education. As educators themselves, they allowed me to see how education (no matter what that education looks like) can be the key to success. Throughout my career, I have often been the only woman in the room. I have never let that stop me because I believe in my abilities, education, and experience no matter who I am in a room with.
Q: Why is ACEE important to you?
ACEE is important to me because it gives me an opportunity to give back to the state that I was raised in by providing a service that is integral to our society. There is a famous quote by Confucius that states “Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life.” This is exactly how I feel about working for ACEE. Every day I work to give teachers the knowledge, lessons, and resources to confidently teach their students to become economically and financially literate citizens. ACEE allows me to make a difference in the lives of countless others. Nothing is more important or as rewarding as that!
Q: Why do you care about financial and economic education?
I care about financial and economic education because it is at the core of how we can create a more just and equitable society. Education is power. Financial and economic education can provide people the power to change their story and the story of generations to come. In Economics, we focus on the study of choices. We also discuss how institutional and societal rules can sometimes limit those choices. Financial and economic education can provide individuals with the tools that they need to combat those limitations and give them the awareness to embody the behavioral changes that are needed to make the best choice for themselves. Financial and economic education is something that we should all care deeply about because it affects everybody. I feel honored to be part of the drive to increase access to financial and economic education to Arizona students and teachers.
