My first and foremost inspiration has always been my children. I have spent almost two decades supporting students, and families of students, with disabilities in a public school setting. I have spent another decade caring and teaching children in my own in-home preschool/daycare.

I believe that staying silent about what matters most is one of the worst mistakes we can make. In my personal and professional life I believe that it is most important to do the right thing, not the thing that will get you more likes, earn you more kudos, or make you more money or prevent the loss of it. As a mother these are the things I tried to instill in my three children.

I am finding ways to carry the weight of my grief. I started kickboxing on Jesse’s birthday the year he was killed. I have been working my way back to photography and painting, things that I enjoyed before Jesse was killed. I write as a form of expression of the inner turmoil and reflection, and I read voraciously.

I learn what I can about the impact of grief and trauma on the mind and body so that I may share with and help others. On a lighter note, I have three dogs and three cats who are an amazing source of therapy and I try to spend as much quality time as I can with family.

The loss of a child is like no other. The depth of grief, pain, trauma, and complete impact is indescribable. This is what ignites my passion to move forward with Jesse’s Justice non-profit. This is an organization and forum to not only encourage social change and accountability but also to be a resource for others that may not otherwise have access or a voice. Through this work I hope for myself and my children to be able to hold onto Jesse’s love of life and use it to move forward with doing what we enjoyed doing as a family and to share that energy with others so that they may love and live life like Jesse.