Intersectionality: It’s hard to identify two But, I will note my rural upbringing as the youngest of ten siblings in a working-class family/community growing up quickly, my adult life experiences as a first-generation college student navigating new terrains, and my lived experiences in urban, rural and international areas as an educator brokering low self-fulfilling prophecies in my community of practice has often created tension in my life that require thoughtful engagement and fortitude. My upbringing has shaped my leadership philosophy in a unique way. The values and work ethic instilled by my parents and my life experiences has led me to be a committed individual who preserves amid lack, dysfunction, and obstacles with a belief that greater is achievable even where gaps and inequities exist. It often guides what I support, how I serve, how I lead and how I partner to invest in children and adults with an equity lens; what I create for formal and informal learning communities; and how I connect learners and adults from all backgrounds to learn together and break silos of separation in our world. It has also informed how I engage and disengage in the professional community to learn new information, take risks, and educate my peers on how to invest their time, talent and energy to build capacity in areas of need for transformation.