I am a Filipino-Canadian sociocultural anthropologist, educator, community and educational leader, and public scholar whose work sits at the intersection of gender, migration, food, and inclusive post-secondary education. Whether in the classroom, the community, or institutional spaces, my grounding in anthropology continues to shape how I understand people, place, and belonging.

I hold a BA (Honours) and MA in Anthropology from the University of Alberta. My graduate research took me to Singapore and Bali, Indonesia, where I conducted ethnographic fieldwork, in partnership with Project X and Yayasan Gaya Dewata, on the disrupted life cycles of transwomen sex workers and their experiences of transitioning and de-transitioning in later life, under the supervision of Dr. Gregory Forth. In 2018, I was a Visiting Scholar and Fellow with the Chair in Transgender Studies and the Transgender Archives at the University of Victoria, deepening my engagement with trans archives, community-based research, and public scholarship.

My SSHRC-funded doctoral research, supervised by Dr. Helen Vallianatos, examined how cuisine, memory, and placemaking shape Filipino identity and belonging in Edmonton. In 2023, I stepped away from the PhD to focus on program leadership and community-building work that extended beyond the bounds of traditional academia, a decision that has only shaped my commitment to education as a practice of care and equity.

My career in higher education has spanned digital communications, professional development, and curriculum design. At the University of Alberta, I supported graduate students through storytelling and equity-focused programming. At the University of Toronto's Centre for Graduate Professional Development, I helped design and coordinate graduate initiatives linking research, leadership, and public impact. These experiences grounded my belief that educational environments should be inclusive, creative, and deeply connected to community.

Teaching is at the heart of everything I do. I have taught anthropology, social research methodologies, communications and career development, ethics, writing, and public speaking at NorQuest College, MacEwan University, Portage College, and the University of the Philippines Baguio. I approach every classroom as a space for curiosity, collaboration, and confidence-building, where students not only engage with content but come to see themselves as capable contributors to their fields and communities.

I currently serve as Associate Chair, Technology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at NorQuest College. My portfolio centers on leading the Digital Information Careers (DGIC) Certificate, a pioneering data analytics and business intelligence program for neurodiverse learners, while supporting the Machine Learning Analyst, Digital Design, and Content Creator programs. My leadership prioritizes inclusive program design, meaningful community partnerships, and building accessible pathways for learners who have historically been excluded from technology fields.

In 2025, I began the Doctor of Education (EdD) program in Educational Research at the University of Calgary's Werklund School of Education, specializing in Leadership, Policy, and Governance in Post-Secondary Contexts under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Brown. My doctoral research focuses on how neuroinclusive commitments are interpreted and enacted in post-secondary education, particularly in technology programs, and returns again and again to a central question: the distance between what institutions commit to and what people actually experience. This gap between policy and lived reality is one I have observed across contexts, and it continues to animate my thinking about how higher education can be structured to genuinely serve the learners it claims to include. My emerging research is informed by Bale Maragul (Big House), an evolving leadership framework and community initiative still taking shape through my professional practice, one that points toward space-making, caretaking, and co-building as foundations for institutional belonging.

My contributions have been recognized nationally and locally. I was named one of Alberta’s Top 30 Under 30 (2020) and one of Edify Magazine’s Top 40 Under 40 in Edmonton (2025), and have been shortlisted for the Golden Balangay Awards in Post-Secondary Educational Excellence (2021) and Educator of the Year (2025, 2026), as well as the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards (2026).

I split my time between Edmonton and Toronto, where I continue building connections across academic, professional, and community spaces. Outside of work, you’ll find me in a spin class, out on a run, chasing a strong cup of coffee, or building something with LEGO—practices that keep me grounded, curious, and connected.