About Me

Teaching Background and Education

This year 26th year of teaching and my 16th year at Antwerp.  Before coming to Antwerp, I taught in Indiana for ten years. I have a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education with my major teaching area in English and minor in Journalism.  I graduated from IPFW in 1999.  I went on to get a Master's Degree in Teaching in Learning with an emphasis on Technology Integration in 2005 from Nova Southeastern University. In 2021-2022, I completed a six-course CCP English Writing Certification from Bowling Green State University.

 In the summer of 2016, I became a Google Certified Trainer.  I currently serve on the board of the Ohio Scholastic Media Association.  In 2017, I earned my Certified Journalism Educator status from the Journalism Education Association, and in 2018, I earned my Master Journalism Educator status. I currently serve as the chair of the JEA Certfication Committee, which helps journalism teachers throughout the country earn certfication. 

Why I Became a Teacher

A lot of people ask teachers why they became teachers.  I didn't always want to be a teacher.  When I was in high school, I wanted to be a journalist.  The summer after high school, I was a reporter for a small newspaper and realized that I didn't like it very much.  I had been the editor of my high school newspaper, and I realized that what I had loved about it was the interaction with my classmates, working on all parts of a publication, and seeing the completed product.  So I realized that teaching journalism was what would really make me happy.  As the editor of the high school newspaper, I was responsible for teaching my staff members a lot of things, and I really enjoyed it.  I also knew I wouldn't be happy just doing writing or just doing layout like I would end up doing if became a professional journalist.  I enjoyed every part of it - the writing, layout, and photography, so teaching journalism allowed me to do all of that.  Of course teaching English is the common companion to teaching journalism, so I went into it to teach journalism and really became an English teacher along the way.  In 2012, I started teaching yearbook at Antwerp, so I was able to return to some of my journalism roots.  

....and Why I Am Still a Teacher

High school teachers often become teachers for their love of the subject they teach.  That was the case for me.  The love of the subject got me started, but the love of my students has been what has kept me teaching for 26 years.  I truly love my job and look forward to coming to school every day.  During the summer, I miss my students.  Crazy....I know.  Antwerp is an awesome school, and it is a rewarding place to work. I think my job is important, and I think the subject I teach is important. 

Personal Information

I have three children.  Atticus, who is a 2013 graduate of Antwerp,  graduated from the University of Saint Francis with a Bachelor's degree in Music Technology in 2017.  He plays guitar, sings, and writes for the band The Be Colony. He works at Adaptek in Fort Wayne .  His first solo album was released in August 2022. Iris is a 2019 graduate  of Antwerp. She gradued in 2023 from Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan with Bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and Political Science. She is currently in grad school at IU Bloomington for Environmental Science. Aleta is my youngest.  She is an eighth grader. She participates in cross country, band, track, student council and the musical. 

I have been married 30 years to my husband Jonathan, who works for Ellucian, an IT department that provides IT support at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne. We live in Monroeville, Indiana, where I have lived my entire life.  

I don't have much time for hobbies, but I love baking, making jam, photography, sewing, going to concerts, and doing digital layout projects.  I love hiking and traveling especially to any place with mountains and forests. We have four cats and a dog.

In July 2015, I wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post and was interviewed on the NPR show The Takeaway regarding the publication of Harper Lee's book Go Set a Watchman. 

In 2007, I was the recipient of the JEA Courage in Journalism Award, the Mary Beth Tinker Award from American University in Washington DC, and the Indiana Library Federation Intellectual Freedom Award.  Since 2007 I have remained active in student First Amendment causes and spoke at the Indiana Statehouse in February 2017 in favor of the New Voices legislation.