2013 — First Steps: Teaching Ballet at 17

My teaching journey began unexpectedly when my high school principal invited me to teach ballet to elementary school children. I was only 17, with experience as a recreational worker at birthday parties. Despite my nervousness, I fell in love with working with children. For two years, I taught creative movement and ballet to kids ages 2 to 11 — and unknowingly stepped into a lifelong path.

2016 — An Internship That Changed Everything

As a college student in the Communication and Arts of the Body program at PUC-SP, I began interning at Antonio César Salvi School of Arts in Osasco. I assisted dance and theater teachers and brought my excitement about embodiment and expressive arts into every classroom. I realized I wasn’t just studying these practices — I wanted to share them.

2017 — Leading My First Teen Theater Class

At 21 years old, I was given the chance to lead my own group of teenagers (ages 13–17). It was one of the most transformative years of my life. I taught theater, but I also became a listener, a mentor, and a trusted adult for my students. One student confided in me after a life-altering event, and though I did my best to support her, I felt the limits of my training — and it ignited a new purpose: to deepen my knowledge in educational psychology and emotional support through the arts.

2019 — Public School, Real Challenges

I started teaching theater in a public elementary school to students ages 6–10. The environment was vastly different from my previous experiences — bigger challenges, but greater purpose. I saw firsthand how theater could be a tool for emotional literacy. I began incorporating Non-Violent Communication (NVC), mindfulness, and SEL strategies into my classes.

2021–2022 — Academic Growth

To better support my students, I completed a Certificate in Educational Psychology at Instituto Singularidades. This training grounded my practice in theory and gave me more tools to bridge art, emotional well-being, and child development.

2023–2025 — Columbia University & New Horizons

In 2023, I started my MA in Psychology in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and in 2024, I was hired as an Assistant Teacher at Hollingworth Preschool at Teachers College. Hollingworth gave me the space and support I needed to start the Raised By This Place project, continuing my commitment to creative, inclusive, and emotionally attuned education and spiritual and arts-based projects that center children's inner lives and sense of belonging.

Today — Teaching as a Lifelong Path

Even now, I receive messages from former students — asking for meditation recommendations or career advice — years after our classes ended. These moments remind me: teaching is not just my job. It’s my calling. I’m committed to evolving as an educator so I can continue guiding children and youth not just in learning, but in living with more awareness, creativity, and compassion.