I graduated from Loras College with a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a Reading Endorsement. I joined AmeriCorps for one year and taught Third Grade in Chicago. My husband, Shawn, and I got married and joined the Peace Corps. We lived on Maewo Island in Vanuatu, located in the South Pacific, for two and a half years. I taught Kindergarten through Sixth Grade in a small village. Upon returning to the United States, I taught Second Grade for three years in Illinois and for seven years in Minnesota. While living in Minnesota, we had two daughters. We moved to Pella in 2011 after Shawn accepted a teaching position at Central College. In 2016, I excitedly accepted a teaching position at Madison. I love working with children and watching them grow as individuals who help make our world a better place for all.
In my spare time I enjoy reading, learning, being active in the outdoors with my family, and gardening.