Candace’s passion for education was set aflame early in her life. Growing up as the daughter of a mother enlisted in the United States Marine Corps afforded her opportunities to travel the world, engage in others’ cultures, meet people from all walks of life, and learn within varying educational systems. By ninth grade, Candace knew she was going to be a teacher. But not just any teacher. She was determined to be fearless in her lesson planning, boundless in her expectations of what learners can achieve, and limitless in experiential learning. But most importantly, Candace was going to know her students, see her students, and value her students. And she did just that.
She began her teaching career at The STEM Academy at Bartlett, where she taught 7th-grade social studies. In this role, Candace accumulated knowledge, practices, and strategies for working with system-impacted youth and became more sensitive to the cyclic relationship between systematic institutions and public education. However, it wasn’t until she transitioned to teaching 6th-8th grade resident learners at Coastal Harbor Treatment Center that she became radical in her teaching practices. Trauma-informed and restorative practice-centered became the focus when designing her learning environment, constructing her lesson plans, and selecting teaching content. Candace’s journey continued when a community partnership birthed a summer mentoring program focused on cultural representation, access to literacy, and countering the effects of systematic institutional harms in our communities. In this program she developed a curriculum that harnessed the power of STEM learning and literacy to empower identity, redefine achievement, and foster a deeper sense of self in relation to the world her learners inhabit.
When Candace isn’t working, she is learning through exploration and discovery. Traveling will forever be her favorite and most enjoyable way to deepen the expanse of her knowledge of self, people, and the world. If you meet Candace on the streets of Savannah, or on the road less traveled, be sure to inquire about the book she is currently reading and what she is growing in her garden. You just might leave with an amazing book recommendation and a jar of homemade pickles. Candace dreams of one day having her own homestead and farm school that will provide restorative learning experiences for young people.