My novel, Hold Love Strong, was a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Book, a USA Today New Voices Pick, and nominated for an Alex Award by the American Library Association. I’ve been an educator for fifteen years. I’ve also spearheaded and collaborated on innovative community-based solutions for people on the spectrum of the criminal and juvenile justice systems and worked with philanthropic foundations to create sustainable systems that identified effective organizations and networks for young people. From 2013-2016, I taught at Colegio Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile. Currently, I teach Humanities at High Tech High International and in the English Department at the University of San Diego.