MEET THE SOS4STUDENTS TEAM

I have a Masters of Education in Universal Design for Learning, a Single Subject teaching credential in English, and an Mild/Mod Special Education credential. It’s my philosophy that everyone can learn, we all learn differently, and we all have a right to accessibility of learning.

I have spent the past 16 years as an educator, serving in every educational role from 1-1 behavioral paraprofessional to Intervention Specialist, to Reading Specialist, to ELA/ELD middle/high school classroom teacher, and most recently serving as an Education Specialist for 11th-12th grade students.

In my free time, you may find me hiking a trail, working in my garden, brewing up homemade salves, tinctures and teas, drawing, and spending time with my husband Gary and our two kittens, Rex and Savvy.

As someone who was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade,  I have experienced firsthand the challenges of executive functioning and academic struggles. These experiences have shaped my approach as an educator; my coaching focuses on empathy, strategy building, and individualized support. I am passionate about helping students develop the tools and confidence they need to navigate school successfully, just as I learned to do myself. I love connecting with students who have faced challenges similar to mine and helping them find success by making school feel more manageable and even enjoyable.

I earned my first degree in Deaf Studies from Sacramento State before pursuing a degree in Special Education at St. Mary’s College. For the past seven years, I have been a high school special education teacher, working with students from ninth through twelfth grade. My specialty is executive functioning support, helping students manage time, organize tasks, and develop academic independence  both in school and at home.

Outside the classroom and coaching, I enjoy spending time with my pets, going to Disneyland, and soaking up the sun.

I began my career as a Teach for America corps member and obtained my Master’s in Education from Dominican University. Over the last decade, I have worked in both private and public school institutions with English language learners, teaching Language and Literature to elementary and high school students. I have also led a team of high school teachers as the English Department Chair and developed curricula for English language learners.

I have studied and worked in Iowa City, Chicago, and Buenos Aires. These diverse fieldwork experiences have enabled me to quickly adapt to different cultures and objectives.

My favorite executive function tip is related task initiation for essay writing. I recommend that students work on developing organized, detailed, and thorough outlines because this is half of the work and leads to great writing. Additionally, I believe it is important to recognize that each student has to find organizational strategies that work for them. Sticky notes, planners, and color-coded systems work well for some students, while relying on systems such as Google Calendar can be an amazing tool for those who are more technologically inclined.

In my free time, I enjoy practicing yoga, reading and listening to audiobooks, traveling, hiking in Patagonia, and spending time with my loved ones.

I am an educator and Executive Function Coach with over 10 years of experience supporting middle and high school students across the Bay Area. Throughout my career, I have taught English Language Arts and Social Sciences while helping students develop the organization, time management, study skills, and self-advocacy needed to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

I believe every student has unique strengths, and my coaching focuses on helping students understand how they learn best while building personalized systems that increase confidence and independence. I am passionate about creating supportive relationships where students feel seen, encouraged, and empowered to take ownership of their learning.

Whether working with students who struggle with executive functioning, organization, motivation, or academic confidence, Matt’s goal is simple: help students discover that success isn’t about working harder, it’s about finding strategies that work for them.

Outside of coaching, I enjoy attending concerts, spending time with family and friends, and cheering on Bay Area sports teams.

I am a teacher at a therapeutic treatment center, working directly with students in small group settings. I have a degree in Education with an emphasis in School Psychology. I have experience working with students from various walks of life and am passionate about creating a safe place for students to reignite their love of learning.

My work in executive function coaching started as I began working with students in smaller settings. I realized that telling students to “study” or “focus” often wasn’t the support they needed. Instead of prompting students to study, return to work, engage, and so on, I decided to model for them what those things look like. Now, I teach my students how to ask for support, providing tips and tools on how to manage time, chunk larger assignments to make them more manageable, and prioritize work—leaning into executive function skills that will impact their lives outside of the classroom as well.

In my free time, you can find me walking around the neighborhood listening to a good podcast or baking yummy treats!

I am a Bay Area native, born in Walnut Creek and graduated from College Park High School in Pleasant Hill. I have a B.S. in Physiology from UCSB and earned a single-subject teaching credential in Biology through Chapman University.

In my 10 years as a high school science teacher, I found that most of the students who struggled with science were actually struggling with organization and the learning process itself. Drawing on my own experiences as a struggling student, I began to research learning and brain development to find strategies to further help my students.

As a student, I found my later years of high school and all four years of college exceedingly difficult. During my freshman year at UCSB, I realized that some of my peers seemed to have knowledge of study and writing methods I had not been exposed to in my K-12 education. I made it my mission to seek help from these students to develop study skills that would work well for me and get me through my B.S. program.

After college, I returned to the Bay Area with the intention of completing a medical degree. However, while working in a physical therapy clinic before enrolling in grad school, I discovered that my true passion was helping people learn and self-advocate.

I am passionate about helping students find their “academic groove” earlier in their educational careers than I did, so they get more out of school and have a better time with it. I have worked with students of varying backgrounds and neurodiversity, and I have experience with students with learning differences in both general and advanced education classrooms. I also help formulate plans and accommodations to properly support them.

I am a mother of two elementary school-aged children and spend most of my spare time enjoying adventures with them. As a family, we love to camp and play water sports. I am a bit of a “sports nerd” and love to watch local baseball, basketball, and football teams at the college and professional levels.

I believe students grow most when they feel genuinely seen, safe, and encouraged to challenge themselves; I strive to create an environment where students are respected and comfortable asking questions, taking risks, and reflecting on their growth. My ultimate goal as an executive function coach is for students to have knowledge of the tools that will bring ease to their learning (and beyond)!

In 2018, I started supporting students one-on-one with executive functioning and socio-emotional needs in an alternative school setting that served K-12 and college students. Since then, I’ve been fortunate to work with students in the roles of teacher, professor, coach, and advisor. For three years I taught English, ELD 1, Creative Writing, College Study Skills, and Design Thinking courses to high schoolers. I then spent three years teaching English Composition, facilitating writing groups, and advising writing for undergraduates, while also working as an executive function and writing coach for an independent learning center.

I graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Modern Literary Studies. I hold a CA single subject teaching credential in English and a Master’s in Education from Notre Dame de Namur University; my thesis topic was ‘Empathy in Teachers and Students.’ In 2025, I earned a dual MFA in Creative Writing (Creative Nonfiction and Poetry) from Saint Mary’s College of CA.

When I’m not with students, I spend my time reading, writing, surfing, and hiking with my dog, Huckleberry.

My approach to executive functioning coaching is personal. I was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and after receiving support I was finally able to organize my thoughts and address my own executive functioning challenges. I believe developing skills and strategies are crucial to living a more efficient, manageable, and fulfilling life for individuals. I value creating a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable being themselves and understand that making mistakes is simply a part of life. No one is exempt from being human, and I believe that learning how to mitigate difficulties is an important part of growth.

I received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Sacramento, and have been working in education for over a decade. I have specifically been working in Special Education for the last 5 years. I enjoy helping students break overwhelming tasks into smaller, manageable steps while building systems that they can realistically use.

Outside of coaching, I spend my free time with friends, family, and my cat, Tuna. I also enjoy playing video games, as well as immersing myself in nature.

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from San Diego State University and hold Associate Degrees in Humanities and Art History.

I grew up in Walnut Creek and graduated from Las Lomas High School. In my sophomore year of high school, I started working at the local pharmacy, eventually earning my pharmacy technician license. I worked in pharmacy for more than 12 years, spending part of that time proudly supporting the men and women of the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Army in San Diego and Hawaii.

I returned to the Bay Area to raise my children, Raiden and Keilani, and to make a career change to support small businesses.
In my spare time, I enjoy binge-watching TV shows, working out, creating art, and brainstorming culinary ideas with my executive chef partner.