12/11/2025
This week, I watched an extraordinary group of students earn their wings. Many completed their Comprehensive Pilates Certificate after a year and a half of showing up every Tuesday and Thursday in class, practicing in studios, at home, completing online work, and stepping bravely into three practical teaching exams. Their commitment, growth, and heart brought us to graduation day.
This was also the first semester I taught Konnector at College of San Mateo. A brand-new course is always a challenge, but this group embraced our “liquid syllabus,” collaborating with me to build the structure and grading criteria. Together, we created a learning space rooted in respect, creativity, and shared responsibility. They supported one another, and they supported me, in ways that reminded me why this work matters.
Many years ago, when I dreamed of making Pilates education more accessible, it felt impossible. I did not have the financial means to pursue training until my parents stepped in. Later, when I joined CSM, I planted the seed for a community-college Pilates Instructor Program. At first it did not seem feasible, but in a moment of economic upheaval and renewed investment in career education, the dream took root. With the support of unique serendipitous events, the CSM Pilates Program was born.
Teaching and cultivating teachers is a labor of love. Success for me has never been about dollars, but yes, they are necessary. It is about planting something meaningful and watching it grow beyond me. This semester, my students reminded me that this dream has taken shape in ways I once only imagined.
I received many beautiful expressions of gratitude, but one gift, a book and a handwritten note, felt especially profound. It reflected back the purpose behind all these years of work: helping others discover their voice, their confidence, and their ability to change lives. To the student who wrote it: I see you, I believe in you, and I know you will carry this work forward with strength and compassion.
I will miss seeing this group each week, but I look forward to watching where their wings take them. What a privilege it is to teach, to learn, and to witness transformation.