Behind every great school community is a dedicated storyteller. Each month, we feature a CalSPRA Member Spotlight to celebrate the hard work, passion, and creativity of our members across the state. Read on to meet this month’s featured communicator and see how they are making a difference!

Tell us about your job - what does a typical day look like? 

As the Director of Communications, I feel incredibly fortunate to stay closely connected to our schools and community. A typical day often includes visiting school sites and district events to capture photo and video content that highlights the amazing things happening across our campuses. It’s a privilege to help share these stories.

I oversee our school and district websites, as well as our social media channels and ParentSquare account, where I’m able to provide both short- and long-form updates to keep families informed and engaged. I also collaborate with departments across the district to support communication efforts, campaigns, and internal messaging.

One of the more exciting aspects of my role is working with local news outlets to promote our district and celebrate the great work happening here. Though with that same public relations lens, I also navigate more complex or sensitive situations, always aiming to communicate with clarity, care, and professionalism.

What do you like most about what you do? 

This job is so rewarding in so many ways. Coming from the corporate marketing world, being in education feels so fulfilling. The best days are when I am on a school campus and students are proudly showing off their work, or staff are proudly showing off their student’s accomplishments. Getting to showcase the tremendous talent and efforts of our staff and students is very bucket-filling. It helps me keep perspective of why we do what we do even when the days are long or the work feels difficult. As a bonus, I get to see the pride of the student’s families and support systems when I highlight them in a video or newsletter!

What do you find most challenging about what you do? 

Leading the communications efforts can have lots of challenges, from evolving platforms, changing guidelines, to differences in philosophies. It can sometimes be challenging to be the voice of change from the status-quo. What I have found is that more times than not, the thing that feels most challenging is actually just working up the courage to propose something new. Once I am able to tackle the initial proposal, I am often pleasantly surprised by support. From there, it is all about answering questions and being prepared. 

Tell us about a project you are working on or completed that you are particularly proud of. How did it come about? What impact has it had so far? 

Last year our Health, Safety and Wellness team approached me about growing miscommunication throughout the district regarding our Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Their analysis found that many staff members did not know the correct terminology and, more troubling, many parents didn’t understand varying levels of severity, leaving a lot of uncertainty. After collaborating with their team, I created an SRP campaign where I explained what our standard response protocols were, including the correct terminology the school will use and what kinds of events may lead to that protocol. For example, a secure might mean a threat in a neighborhood and is just a precaution, as opposed to a lockdown that confirms there is a threat on campus.

This transparency went a long way with our parents in helping them trust the school and our communication practices while managing expectations that can sometimes overwhelm a parent in the face of the unknown. The videos were posted on socials, sent through ParentSquare and featured in a parent engagement night about safety and preparation.  It also served as training and accountability for our staff members to utilize the correct terminology which assists in curbing and correcting misinformation in the midst of crises both big and small. I am proud of the work that was done in partnership with the schools and our Health, Safety and Wellness team. 

How long have you been in the profession and what was your path to school PR? 

I am relatively new to school PR, this is my second year in education and with my district after being suggested for the role by a family friend. After finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, I went on to complete my Masters in Communication Studies. During that time, I had the opportunity to work for a company that specialized in global security technology, supporting various government agencies and militaries. It was a challenging environment, often filled with complex legal processes, but I’m grateful for how it sharpened my attention to detail and trained me to anticipate potential obstacles before they arise. That experience also strengthened my ability to collaborate across departments, navigate language barriers, and work through the unique challenges that come with operating across countries and cultures.

After that, I served as a marketing specialist for an organization focused on helping establish churches across the United States. In that role, I was thankful for the opportunity to take on greater responsibility and deepen my experience with analytics, all within a highly specialized audience. It pushed me to think more strategically about messaging and engagement, and helped me build skills in understanding audiences and identifying their interests—skills that continue to support my work in communications today.

What advice do you have for new PR professionals? 

When entering a meeting or taking on a project, do your best to come prepared and informed. Ask questions that help deepen your understanding, and come from a genuine place of curiosity and a desire to learn. Tone matters—questions are always appreciated when they’re asked with integrity and respect, rather than coming across as critical or scrutinizing. Leading with that mindset helps build trust and fosters more productive, collaborative conversations.

What else would you like to share?

Imposter syndrome can feel very real. But remember, the only one who has an expectation of what you should know, or how you should be is you. Everyone else only knows what you show them. Show them your best!

What are you doing to promote IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access)? 

I’m proud to work in a district where equity is consistently at the forefront of our conversations and decision-making. In my role, I collaborate with teams across the district to support initiatives that promote equity, including family engagement events designed to meet the diverse needs of our community.

I am currently transitioning many communication materials to platforms that offer more variety in translations and I am learning all the requirements for accessibility, so that has been a time-consuming but necessary adjustment! 

Our district partners with local universities to provide classes for parents, creating opportunities for growth that foster greater access and inclusion. Through our communications, we make a point to highlight the successes of our special education programs and intentionally amplify the voices, stories, and cultures of our students.

The Panama-Buena Vista Union School District is located in Bakersfield, California. We are a proud member of Kern County, serving about 20,000 TK-8 students. Our district just celebrated our 150th anniversary and has grown to serve our community with 26 schools.