With a background in elementary education, spring 2020 had me evaluating where I wanted my life to head. At the time, I was helping my 1st and 3rd grade daughters with their schoolwork. There was no reason for them to slip behind in their studies with a mom who had several years experience as an elementary school teacher. I have a B.S. in  Elementary Education with a  minor in mathematics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During my first year in the classroom, I taught  6th grade math for Darlington County Public schools in South Carolina. My next year was spent teaching  algebra and 1st grade at Guardian Angels Regional Catholic in Staunton, Virginia. I remained in Virginia teaching 6th grade math, as well as 1st and 2nd with Page County Public Schools for several years until my oldest daughter was born. I directed my attention to staying at home and caring for my daughters until they were school-aged.

From fall 2018 through the 2020 pandemic shut-downs, I was an outdoor play-based learning instructor, contracted by Tinkergarten. I took my daughters outdoors regularly to participate in activities that I had previously led during my classes. I was also asked to collaboratively plan and instruct a virtual summer camp with our local watershed conservation organization, Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. 

Staying at home, I guided my girls in their virtual education during the 2020-21 school year. During that time, I decided that when my daughters went back to in-person school, I was going to go back to school as well. I carefully picked a masters degree in which I would find value in applying and learning the content, regardless of the outcome of job searches during such uncertain times. I am currently acquiring a Masters of Education in Environmental Education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. 

I landed a job much sooner than I predicted. I have worked full-time as an environmental educator at Blandy Experimental Farm - The State Arboretum of Virginia since September of 2021. The natural world has always held a special place in my heart. I worked as a program director of a Girl Scout camp in college and spent part of my student teaching assignment at Mckeever Environmental Learning Center in Sandy Hook, Pennsylvania. However, I can honestly say that it wasn’t until a few years ago that I felt compelled to take a leap of faith and enter the field of EE.