“The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”
— Plutarch

Hello and welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read my “About” page. It is an absolute pleasure to meet you.

I am Amanda, or as my family calls me, “Na” and I have been in the business of kindling fires for all of my adult life. This website is not only to showcase my professional accomplishments, experience, and skills as an Educator and Supervisor of humane educational programming, but to document my continuing education as well. Afterall, if we are not kindling our own fires, how can we expect to spark a flame with the programs and lessons we provide for the community we serve?

In 2021, I left formal education and my career as an Art Educator. I thought I had a “sure thing” lined up with a company and after 4 interviews and a prospect for a 5th “within the week”, I was ghosted due to a hiring freeze. 3 months were gone and summer break was just a few weeks away. I bopped around and made ends meet, but could not seem to find my footing. In December of 2021, I applied for a position as the Lead Humane Educator with the Arizona Humane Society and haven’t “worked” a day in 3 years.

Within a few months of being with the Arizona Humane Society, a proposal for my promotion was submitted (Promotion?!? What’s that?!?) and within 9 months, I was made Education Supervisor. The move outside of formal education has afforded me so much more opportunity and I feel that I have really found my calling. I have absolutely fallen in love with humane and conservation education and will be pursuing a Master’s in Biology via a Global Field Program.

The Global Field Program (GFP) connects scientists, educators, community leaders, and others to conservation hotspots around the globe. This summer, I will be traveling to Costa Rica to study at Pacuare Station and La Selva Biological Station. I couldn’t be more excited. As previously mentioned, I will be sharing my experience as a student here as well via a blog, so stay tuned!