I believe in a strong moral consciousness and in recognizing the dignity, values and gifts of all people. We are all one in the world community, whether we realize it or not. I believe access to education is very important, and the desire to learn is universal and should be nurtured in everyone.

I also believe strongly that each person has something to contribute to the world. Those contributions may not be at the same level and quality for all people, but they are no less important for each person. Differing levels do not devalue the contributions, or make one persons gift more valuable than another. Instead, we must work to respect one another and help everyone to find a way to make their own positive contributions to our community and to our world.

I feel it is our duty as good citizens to not only respect what others have to offer, but also to do all that we can to help our society and our world in the most honest, genuine, and fair way possible. These beliefs and values are more than just my personal statement. They also are evident in my work as a professional educator, both inside and outside the classroom.