My commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is rooted in lived experience, pedagogical intention, and an ongoing responsibility to design learning environments where students from all backgrounds can thrive. I was raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, a place shaped by Indigenous knowledge, migration, colonization, and cultural hybridity. Growing up as a queer, white student in a majority AANHPI environment deepened my understanding of how power, visibility, and belonging operate in educational spaces, while also sharpening my awareness of my own inherent privilege and the responsibilities that accompany it.

In my teaching, inclusion is not an abstract value but a structural practice. I design courses that combine high artistic standards with flexibility in process and access, ensuring that students are challenged while also supported. Through intentional repertoire selection, transparent expectations, and collaborative studio norms, I cultivate learning environments where difference is treated not merely as an asset but as a creative force, and where mistakes function as catalysts for growth rather than markers of failure.

My pedagogy draws from a wide range of frameworks and traditions, including the Luckett Paradigm, somatic practices informed by Eastern philosophy, Indigenous storytelling frameworks, and diverse Western acting and movement lineages. Rather than positioning any single methodology as universal, I approach training as a process of selection and adaptation, curating techniques in response to students’ identities, learning styles, and artistic goals. This allows students to develop performance practices that are both personally authentic and professionally viable.

Accessibility is central to my approach to inclusive teaching. As a neurodivergent educator, I am keenly aware of how traditional educational structures can unintentionally exclude capable and creative students. This awareness informs my course design, which incorporates flexible assignment structures, multiple modes of participation, scaffolded feedback, and process-oriented assessment. I regularly integrate reflective journaling, mindfulness practices, and clear communication protocols to support students navigating anxiety, executive functioning challenges, or complex external responsibilities.

My commitment to inclusion extends beyond individual classrooms. I actively pursue professional development related to racial justice, LGBTQIA+ inclusion, universal design for learning, and culturally responsive pedagogy. I value dialogue with students and colleagues and approach mentorship as an ongoing, relational practice that supports students’ artistic, academic, and personal development.

At its core, my approach to diversity and inclusion is grounded in the belief that performance education is both an artistic and ethical endeavor. By fostering learning environments rooted in dignity, respect, and shared responsibility, I aim to support students in developing not only technical excellence, but the capacity to engage thoughtfully and responsibly with the diverse communities they will encounter throughout their creative lives.