Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. When I was in 1st grade, I thought I'd be a 1st grade teacher...when I was in 2nd grade, I thought I would be a 2nd grade teacher...and so on. My interest in school came mostly from having wonderful teachers. I felt loved, supported, creative, and successful throughout almost every single year of my schooling. When I graduated and went to MSU as an undergraduate, I felt overwhelmed by the possibilities. I felt like being 'just' a teacher seemed simple and that I wanted to pursue a career that, when you told a stranger what you did for a living, they said "wow". I attended James Madison College (MSU's residential program for public policy studies) and planned on working in the state government. Throughout my time at MSU, I continually found myself in roles that were educational in nature. I worked at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts and it was my job to train new employees. I was a member of the MSU Pompon program and I helped to plan and coordinate philanthropy and volunteer events. I worked for five years on the staff of MSU's Model United Nations conference for high school student where my job was to communicate with all of the participants and visit high schools to help train their teams. Then, for my senior year internship (the capstone of the James Madison program) I was invited to redevelop and teach GED classes at a wonderful non-profit in Lansing. I had a hard time denying that education was what I truly felt passionate about. I added secondary education to my degree program and haven't looked back since.
I currently teach in a suburban high school in Oxford, Michigan. We have just over 1500 students and offer a diverse range of courses including an International Baccalaureate program, several pre-engineering tracks, and wonderful performing arts electives. The Oxford community is in transition as it slowly emerges from it's more rural and traditional roots. I'm lucky to teach in a district that provides such a well-rounded education for students and many growth opportunities for educators. I'm just finishing my sixth year teaching in the district (one at the middle school and five at the high school). My courses include US Civics (10th grade), World History (11th grade) and AP Comparative Government and Politics. I love having a range of subjects and ages throughout the day. In addition to teaching, I am our school's Model United Nations advisor, co-coordinator of the Link Crew (a mentorship program between upperclassmen and incoming freshmen), co-coordinator of our Gender and Sexuality Alliance club, and my departments PLC Facilitator.
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