When Hope Prevails: Crossing My Own Line

When I wrote Heartbeats, I added a chapter at the very last minute. It wasn’t planned. It wasn’t outlined. It simply asked to be written.

It was a chapter about hope; the hope that one day, I would return to a school building, step back into leadership, and once again do the work that has always felt like purpose.

At the time, that hope felt distant. I was still fighting through my own health journey, still learning how to navigate a world that suddenly looked different. But even then, tucked between uncertainty and determination, there was a belief that I would find my way back.

Over the last several months, that hope has quietly grown legs. After a personal loss, I’ve walked through multiple interview processes, sorted through ambiguity, weighed different opportunities, and done a lot of soul searching. It hasn’t been a straight line, but very few meaningful journeys are.

And now, I’m grateful to say that hope has come to fruition.

What makes this moment especially meaningful is that this return will look different than where I left off. Over the last three years, I have spent time encouraging others to “cross the lines” that life draws in the sand; to take risks, sit in discomfort, and choose growth, even when growth feels uncomfortable. I’ve said it on stages, in workshops, and in conversations with students and adults.

This move is practicing what I preach.

Elementary has always been my comfort zone. It’s where my heart grew up. It’s where I became the educator and leader I am today. And yes, that opportunity presented itself again. But this time, nervously, humbly, and with a whole lot of faith, I’m crossing my own line.

I’m honored to share that I’ve accepted the role of Assistant Principal at Central Dauphin High School.

This next chapter is equal parts excitement and butterflies, but I’m walking toward it with purpose and passion. I’m grateful to join a team that didn’t just open the door, but invited me in to lead with them. And that invitation matters.

To the family I created at IIRP and Codebreaker: thank you. The last three years gave me space to write, to travel, to present, and to tell my story in rooms that I never imagined standing in. I learned more than I taught, and I’ll always be grateful for every moment. I’ll stay on as a contractor with the IIRP, continue writing (yes, more to come), and aim to speak when time and opportunity allow. But at my core, my greatest love has never changed: having a daily, meaningful impact on staff, students, and their families.

Returning to leadership feels like I’m coming home…just in a new neighborhood.

Here’s to the next chapter.

Here’s to hope fulfilled.

Here’s to crossing the line.