The path that led me to teaching has been a meandering one. I grew up in the rural Central Valley town of Planada, California. Choosing to be a teacher was a natural choice. My grandmother was a teacher in a one-room school house in Albia, Iowa. I attended colleges in Santa Barbara and Merced before marrying and starting a family. My teaching career really began in high school with teaching drama and dance to underprivileged kids in my hometown, first at Le Grand High School and then at Merced Junior College. Taking a break from my education to raise my two children was a joy, but I longed to be back in the classroom sharing my love of English and literature. When my kids entered middle school, I began the search for a school which eventually ended at Merced Union High School District.

Over the years, I have looked upon the MUHSD community as an extension of my family. I have had the privilege of opening the first 1:web school, El Capitan High School, in our district. I love technology and implementing it into a new school and culture! The El Capitan community–colleagues, students, parents, and staff–is an amazing one. It is a community that supports and encourages each person to become the best that they can be. Teaching in such an atmosphere has been both rewarding and invigorating. Being able to share my life and teaching with this community has made this second stage of my career a wonderful, growing and challenging experience. I am fortunate to be a part of this community.

Currently, I service as the English Department chairperson and Common Core Coach. I also am a Dutch Fulbright scholar.