I was born in the Republic of Georgia. After leaving school I enrolled in a teacher training course at the Institute of Foreign Languages in Tbilisi and, after 5 years of studies, earned a first class bachelor’s degree in teaching English as a foreign language. After my move to the UK in 2001, I completed BA Hons in Education with QTS at Liverpool Hope University (1st class) followed by an MA in Education (with distinction) in 2008. In 2020 I completed my doctoral studies (EdD) at the University of Chester. At present, I am working as an Associate Head of Department at Edge Hill University, and also teach across several programmes from level 4 to level 8. My research interests are mainly in the areas of autoethnographic research methodology, educational leadership, and creative approaches to a qualitative enquiry.