Here are some aspects of my identity that will help you understand my positionality. Of course, identity shifts all the time, but these aspects feel core to my worldviews. They guide my approach to teaching, scholarship, and activism.
I am a white, cisgender, able-bodied woman who grew up and attended public schools in Philadelphia, PA.
Philly can be a gritty city, and living and learning there taught me how to organize, even when resources may be limited. I owe a lot of my street smarts to Philly. Way before I earned a PhD and read scholarly works on feminism, I knew feminism because I felt it and saw it from so many great people in Philadelphia. The hustle continues to inspire me.
I am the oldest of four girls, and I have a deep sense of sisterhood.
I am married to a wonderful man, and we get to parent an incredibly fierce daughter.
I am a professor at Muhlenberg College, and I teach in Psychology and Women & Gender Studies.
I am a licensed practicing feminist therapist. I believe feminism restores and heals.
I am an abolitionist and believe prisons are harmful to us all. I work alongside people who are incarcerated to reduce the use of carceral systems.
I am a US citizen, and I have lived, studied, and worked abroad in both Mexico and Spain.
I was raised Catholic but am not currently practicing. I see the value of spiritual and religious traditions and communities.
These aspects of my identity give you a snapshot of who I am and will help you understand how power and privilege informs my writing on our blog.