Much like J. D. Salinger's angst-ridden protagonist Holden Caulfield, I began my education career with the naive belief that "I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all" and I have spent my entire educational career working in schools with high rates of poverty and increasing achievement gaps. Oddly enough, my tenacity for the underdog spills over into my personal life as well. My husband and I dedicate much of our spare time to our four dogs and volunteer with several local rescue organizations.