"The through line of what I get to do is creating community."

“I try as much as possible to at least get somebody to smile—we have more in common than our differences. Way more.”

"Who doesn’t love pizza?"

"To clear a bar higher than your own head, you have to believe you can rise to it."

“If they don’t enjoy right now, they’re not going to enjoy most of the rest of school.”

"When students see their own progress, it builds their confidence—and that’s what keeps them going."

“Some of them have never learned about ducks or chickens or pumpkins or corn. It’s amazing to see how many don’t recognize what’s around us.”

“It’s very cozy here. No one is bombing you. Everything is quiet, and people are good.”

“I got 126 letters from classmates—some from people I hardly knew. That meant the world.”

"Macomb students aren’t just learning biology or chemistry—they’re learning that the world is bigger, more connected, and full of possibility."

“Even my most challenged kids can weed and clean buckets. They can learn a lot of things—and it helps me, too.”