WORK EXPERIENCE

DEIJA Chair- Waring School, Massachusetts

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Justice, and Antiracism 2025- current

• Report directly to Head of School and serve as primary liaison to Board's Diversity Committee, driving school-wide accountability toward stated DEI goals through strategic storytelling and data-driven narratives

• Develop and implement comprehensive policies, procedures, and programs to sustain diverse, equitable, inclusive, just, and anti-racist school community centered on student experience and belonging

• Manage and collaborate with DEIJA Communications & Programming Coordinator and serve as community-wide point of contact for all DEIJA-related issues, inquiries, and concerns, utilizing narrative approaches to elevate student voices

• Support faculty with inclusive curriculum development and pedagogical practices, integrating culturally responsive teaching strategies and affirming classroom culture for grades 6-12

• Coordinate and facilitate professional development training for faculty and staff, increasing cultural competency through experiential learning and storytelling methodologies

• Lead DEIJA orientations and serve as resource to student affinity and interest groups, empowering student leaders to share their experiences and shape school culture

• Collaborate with senior leadership on bias incident management protocols, centering student impact and using restorative practices in educational response processes

• Partner with Dean of Community Life on community events and programming that amplify diverse student narratives, create opportunities for authentic dialogue, and foster cross-cultural understanding

• Engage in challenging conversations on DEI-related issues with students, families, and staff, addressing white fragility, privilege, and power dynamics through culturally humble, story-based approaches

Director of Community and Belonging - Derby Academy, Massachusetts

DEIB and Service-Learning Visionary - 2024-2025

• Center joy, radical self-love, solidarity, compassion, and sponsorship in leadership and passionate pursuit of equitable education that honors student access, agency, voice, and choice in a school of nearly 350 students

• Envision and lead DEIB Strategic Planning process, fostering mission alignment and data-driven, ethical, accountable, and power-aware decision-making

• Build and hone leadership team’s capacity and skills through alternate bi-monthly professional development and strategic planning sessions that use data to center the most impacted voices

• Enhance psychological safety, trust, and emotional capacity for leadership, Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff to engage in bias reflection and procedural and policy improvement

• Initiate and plan logistics with legal team, CFO, and HOS toward policies and practices that safeguard inclusive school values

• Create and guide a faculty DEIB team to implement impactful, community-driven change that centers educator expertise in student-centered practices

• Integrate DEIB and service learning across school operations including HR, admissions, communications, and student support services and guide educator work with support and resources during child studies

• Advise the Academic Leadership Team on topics ranging from incorporating custom equity tools in curricular and observational frameworks to antibias/antiracist policies and practices

• Work closely with school counselor and nurse to honor and tend to students’ needs with an equitable and culturally sustaining lens

• Foster cross-curricular service learning and projects on social justice topics including climate justice, sustainability, and food insecurity through partnerships with statewide organizations

• Work directly with students to envision and support student-led service projects throughout the year

• Establish wellness-centered affinity spaces and opportunities for students, grounding in critical love and co-conspiracy principles

• Teach student lessons, winter term course, adult PD (for 100 staff/faculty members), and facilitate student-centered presentations offering an underrepresented intersectional perspective

Educational Equity Practitioner and Consultant - Massachusetts

Consultant & Speaker Jan 2023- current

• Lead training and dialogue facilitation with formative and summative assessments and surveys for students, schools, and government organizations

• Collaborate with fellow DEI pioneers to promote social justice through workshops and consultations

• Build wellness-informed equity tools in collaboration with groups like the Massachusetts Human Rights Coalition

• Speak and perform poetry at events including the Winters Group’s Racial Justice at Work Summit with speakers including Dr. Ibram Kendi, Dr. Ruha Benjamin, and Jane Elliot

• Merge literature, art, music, dance, and transformational justice approaches in education and workshops

Long-term Substitute Teacher - Wesley Prep, Texas

2018

• Followed teacher’s lesson plans and presented curriculum while optimizing student engagement and curiosity

• Maintained a positive, respectful, and safe learning environment through social-emotional support, growth mindset, and culturally sustaining classroom practices

Owner & Pastry Chef - Vanilla & Rose Cakes, Texas

2013 – 2018

• Founded and operated a home-based bakery specializing in custom cakes

• Designed digital marketing strategy leveraging custom website and social media engagement

• Donated cakes to various cause-centered organizations and fundraisers

Registered Nurse & Charge Nurse - Houston Northwest Medical Center- Houston, Texas

Surgical ICU 2006 – 2013

• Provided critical medical care to recover heart, neuro, gastrointestinal, and trauma surgical patients

• Performed charge nurse duties and maintained patient/unit safety for a 15-bed surgical unit

• Assisted with precepting new hires and represented SICU staff as a member of the hospital’s Advisory Council

EQUITY & EDUCATION FOCUSED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Hingham Human Rights Commission- Hingham, Massachusetts

Member & Secretary 2022 – 2024

• Developed community awareness concerning human rights, DEI, and belonging through educational programs, summits, panels, and events

• Led surveys and training for key stakeholders including Select Board, Commission members, and law enforcement to engage. in meaningful equity work

• Created a community asset map to understand the local context of Hingham and stakeholder perspectives

• Developed a strategic plan using an ethical framework to address systemic barriers to inclusion through relationships with town organizations

• Provided a global and trauma-informed diversity, social justice, and human rights for the commission

Hingham Public Schools Equity Steering Committee- Hingham, Massachusetts

Committee Member 2022 – 2024

• Collaborated with school leadership to pursue authentic partnerships between families, students, and schools

• Led Hingham Families of Color group to increase transparency, accountability, and engagement in equity initiatives

• Partnered with equity leaders to develop and inform a framework and strategic plan for tracking culturally responsive teaching practices and equity metrics

Massachusetts Human Rights Coalition- Massachusetts

Coalition Member and Representative for HHRC and HUC 2022 – 2024

• Led a toolkit development to provide human rights organizations with resources for statements, discussions, community events, media literacy, mindfulness/wellness, how to center impacted voices, and guidance for working with local schools

• Participated in statewide networking with local organizations and commissions focused on human rights

Hingham Unity Council – Hingham, Massachusetts

Board Member and Chair of Schools & Education Committee 2020 – 2024

• Actively engaged in reshaping policy by finding open policy widows to ensure equitable education throughout the district via informed and coordinated participation in local government, committees, and meetings

• Initiated and led volunteering, civic engagement, and ongoing initiatives with key school district leaders, including antiracism training, creation of school-based equity teams, and getting pride crosswalks approved, funded, and painted by families and educators on all campuses

• Created an annual cultural calendar and a BIPOC family resource list for the district

East Elementary School Equity Team- Hingham, Massachusetts 2021 – 2023

• Evaluate and refine school curricula, policies, and procedures to pursue equitable access to resources and services East Elementary School Council- Hingham, Massachusetts 2020 – 2023

• Assess and refine school-wide educational goals consistent with local educational policies and statewide student performance standards, review the annual building budget, and formulate a school improvement plan

EDUCATION

Boston College – Boston, Massachusetts

• Master of Education, Educational Leadership & Policy, Social Justice Leadership

Le Cordon Bleu – Dallas, Texas

• Patisserie & Baking Certificate Program

DeSales University – Center Valley, Pennsylvania

• Bachelor of Science, Nursing

The University of Texas at Austin – Austin, Texas

• Bachelor of Arts, Biology

Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science at University of North Texas – Denton, Texas

ADDITIONAL

Former Board Member of Saheli, a South Asian/Arab-focused domestic violence service nonprofit organization

Fluent in Gujarati & proficient in Hindi