​I have worked with food and families, in one capacity or another, for almost 20 years.  After getting my undergraduate degree at University of California, Santa Cruz, I focused on sustainable agriculture and the food system, teaching kids K-12 science, social studies and cooking classes in farm and garden-based programs like UCSC's Life Lab, the Community Agroecology Network and Pie Ranch.  These experiences led me down a meandering path towards understanding the importance of everyone having access to healthy food, and how often that's just not the case.

 

After culinary school in Argentina, I started grad school at Cal Poly SLO with the goal of becoming a dietitian. During grad school, I had the opportunity to work for various Head Start and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) programs, which ignited my passion for working in pediatrics. Since then, I've worked at Stanford Medicine Children's Health, the largest pediatric and maternity hospital in Northern California, gaining experience in every pediatric specialty, including weight management, malnutrition, picky eating, autism spectrum disorder, cardiology, gastrointestinal issues and oral aversion (including tube feeding), kidney disease and ketogenic diets for epilepsy management. 

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Throughout this time, both in the hospital and while at WIC, I've had the opportunity to work with nursing parents and deeply understand how challenging, and rewarding, lactation can be.  I've also had two kiddos of my own, each with their own nursing challenges. 

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When I'm not working, you can find me out exploring Bishop's big backyard with my loving husband, two intrepid kids and overly exuberant border collie, Javi. You might also find me at an event for the Eastside Student Center, a free after-school program for students grades 5-12 in Bishop, where I serve on the board.