I'm originally from Birnamwood, WI, where I grew up on a small hobby farm along the banks of the Embarrass River. Both of my parents are retired elementary teachers (who spent most of their careers teaching 3rd grade, too!). Their commitment to and belief in the power of education inspired my own passion for teaching. And now that they're retired, they love to come visit Amherst to tell stories and read aloud to my students.

Although Amherst was my high school’s rival, I’ve been friends with people in the Amherst community since a young age due to my participation in 4-H and school sports. I ventured off to Arizona for four years to attend Arizona State University and earn my bachelor’s degree in elementary education, but my central Wisconsin roots drew me back home to stay. I'm excited to be part of the Amherst Elementary team and live and work in such a supportive community.

When I'm not teaching I like to make music (I was a piano teacher for many years), garden, cook, travel, and play outside (as you can see from my snowshoeing photo, taken in Estes Park, CO). You'll often find me biking or running along the Tomorrow River Trail or camping in one of Wisconsin's beautiful state parks. I love to cheer for Wisconsin's great sports teams, too, especially Badger football.

I also tend to read a lot of children's literature so I can share recommendations with my class. A few of my favorite books are Matilda, by Roald Dahl, Holes, by Louis Sachar, and The Stinky Cheese Man, by Jon Scieszka. I'm currently working my way through the "Keepers of the School" series, by Andrew Clements, and eagerly anticipating the release of the next book later this month! If you like adventure and mystery, you should check out this story of Benjamin Pratt and his secret mission to save his school!