About Jessica:
Equity, Experience, Empathy
Education has always been an integral part of who I am. I grew up the child of international educators and school leaders. I spent the first 10 years of my life living in Dubai, UAE, where my mother taught Early Childhood and my father became Elementary Principal of the Jumeirah American School (now the American School of Dubai). After a few years back in the States, we moved again when I was a teenager to Osaka Japan, where I attended (and graduated from) the Osaka International School. Growing up internationally and the child of educators made me who I am today: a person who values diversity, loves travel and new experiences, and fervently believes in rigorous education that lifts up and celebrates all students.
As a young adult, given my background, I was sure that when I had my own family we would follow in my parents' footsteps and move overseas. However, as I moved to Watertown 12 years ago, my partner David and I came to love and appreciate the diversity and caring, engaged community Watertown is. We now could not imagine raising our family anywhere else. We are the proud parents of a seventh grader WMS and a fourth grader at the Cunniff. Prior to becoming a School Committee member, I served on the Cunniff School Site Council for 4 years, was a member of the Cunniff Diversity and Belonging Council and continue to be a member of the WPS Anti-Bias Coalition.
A school mental health counselor for nearly 20 years, I hold a Master’s Degree in Risk and Prevention and a Certificate of Advanced Study in School Adjustment Counseling from Harvard Graduate School of Education. I currently serve as a School Adjustment Counselor for the Cambridge Public Schools. It is this wealth of expertise that grants me such a unique perspective on schools, systems, and their impact on individual families.
