I grew up in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania and I attended High School at Padua Academy in Wilmington, Delaware.  Italian was one of my favorite classes and I have enjoyed listening to, reading, and speaking the Italian language ever since.  My love of the Italian language grew from the moment I had stepped into Mr. Pellegrino's class.  

I attended college at the University of Delaware and received a Bachelors of Arts with a specialization in Italian Studies.  Before attending the University of Delaware, I had the wonderful opportunity of studying abroad which was one of my dreams that thankfully had come to fruition.     I first studied in Perguia, a city in the Umbria region of Italy.  It is where the Perugina Baci chocolates are made! There I had studied at the Università per Stranieri (University for Foreigners), one of the oldest and most presigious Italian institutions involved in teaching, research activities and diffusing the Italian language and culture.  Next, I had studied through the University of Delware in Siena, Italy for an academic semester.  Upon graduating from the University of Delaware, I attended Middlebury College in Vermont and recieved a Masters of Arts in Italian.  Most of my studies were in Florence, Italy for an academic year where I had studied both at the Middlebury site and the University of Florence.  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study multiple times in Italy and live with two Italian families and European students.  Studying abroad is an experience that I will always treasure and never forget.  It is something that I would strongly encourage any of my students to experience.  

Upon graduating from Middlebury College, I started working in Florence, Italy at New York University's campus as a student liason and activities coordinator.  When I returned to the United States I worked at Agusta Aerospace in Philadelphia, an Italian helicopter company working under the Director of Procurement.  After working there for three years, I had decided to study the art of teaching and bring my experiences into the classroom to inspire and give the opportunity to others to have the knowledge of and see the beauty of the Italian language and culture.  I have been teaching at Highland Regional High School for 18 years.