About Me

With over fifteen years of experience teaching filmmaking, photography, and creative writing at prestigious private high schools and universities, my passion is helping my students use the arts to express their voices, regardless of budget, resources, or ability. As the child of two caring pediatricians who knew nothing about the film industry, college programs, and film production technology, my goal is to offer the support and guidance that many young creatives don't have easy access to.

My years of professional experience, combined with a BFA in Film and Television Production from New York University's (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts and an MA in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), inform my practice with students. However, my primary interests lie in the connections I make with young artists who are finding their voices as artists.

I believe that joyful, free expression is at the heart of the high school experience, and that digital tools can serve as a bridge for all students to participate. Laughter, tears, thrills, connection, comfort, these are the expressions of emotion that bring communities together, and what I seek to inspire in my students’ work.

I believe the arts provide a way for young people to connect with their thoughts, emotions, and interests while working on complex, multistep projects. In our increasingly distracting, disconnected, and instantly gratifying world, I know that these skills enrich their lives and set them up for great success as individuals and in the workforce, regardless of the path they choose to pursue.

My students have gone on to attend some of the country's top film schools, won awards at many of the most prestigious high school film festivals (including the All-American High School Film Festival in Times Square), and even had their first feature films screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Still, the most important thing to me, as a teacher, is that they are guided to pursue the path that is best for their happiness, interests, and future.