I grew up as a pastors daughter and lived on a farm.  My parents taught me good values and the importance of hard work. After graduating high school I moved to Ozark, Missouri where I lived for thirty years and then I moved to Hollister, Missouri where I am currently living. I have three adult children who all live close and have been very successful. I have seven grandchildren who keep me very busy with all of their activities. I enjoy hanging out with my family, spending time on the lake, riding the Ozark hills on ATV's, container gardening, and Interior Design.  I also enjoy traveling and experiencing different cultures, cuisine, and exciting places.  

I initially decided to teach Special Education because of my cousin Rebecca Buettner who had Down Syndrome. Growing up with her taught me that individuals with disabilities can do whatever they set their mind too. It just might take a little longer and they might need more help getting there. I noticed that she learned differently and that teaching her everyday skills had to be taught in different ways then I was taught.  From that experience, I decided I was going to go into Special Education. I believed my ability to be creative would be beneficial and I could provide engaging hands-on lessons that would meet every students needs. This skill has helped me  design lessons to accommodate students’ different learning styles to provide a quality education in the diverse classroom. 

I graduated from Evangel University with a  Bachelor of Arts  Degree in Special Education K-12 Cross Categorical and 1-6 Regular Education. After graduating I taught one year at Highlandville Elementary. I taught K-6 Special Education all content areas. I then took a job at Branson Intermediate where I taught Special Education Communication Arts at the Branson Intermediate School for eight years.  

I enjoyed working with fifth and sixth grade students and encouraging them to discover their voice through writing. I also loved finding creative ways to introduce reading to allow students to explore worlds outside their own. I then took the Transition Coordinator position at the High School for the past 12 years. I love helping students transition from school to positive post secondary outcomes and connecting parents with valuable resources to support them through this process.

My favorite thing is walking into a business and seeing one of my students working as a successful employee. It makes me proud knowing that the skills they learned in either Work Experience Class or Transition was the foundation of their success in employment. These students had obstacles to overcome in their lives but were given the opportunity to show employers just how responsible and dedicated they can be. That puts a smile on my face and a skip in my step.