I'm excited to be returning for my sixteenth year at Ardrey Kell, and my nineteenth year teaching. I can't tell you how proud I am to be an AK original!

This year I am teaching AP Literature and Composition. I also sponsor the writing club and the school newspaper, The Ardrey Kell Chronicle. Last year, our student journalists won awards for their work with our publication, and I am very proud of them!

I came to AK from South Florida, where I taught English and Newspaper for several years in Hollywood, FL. I hold a bachelor's degree from UNCG in English and Spanish, as well as a master's degree from FAU in Reading Education. I am passionate about literature and writing, and I look forward to working with my students to enhance their appreciation of literature and to develop their writing skills.

On a personal note, I come from a varied background. The product of an Appalachian dad and a lovely Spaniard, I grew up overseas, specifically in central West Germany (as it was called then), where my father was in civil service for the United States Air Force. (Yes, I was living there when the Berlin Wall finally came down, though we moved shortly before reunification.) This childhood was a unique opportunity as it allowed me to travel in ways I only dream of now. My favorite vacation spot was, of course, Spain, where most of my relatives lived. 

After graduating from an American high school in Kaiserslautern, Germany, I moved to Greensboro, where I lived for six years, four of them in UNCG dorm rooms. In 1998 I moved with my parents and sister to Florida, where I met my husband and had my children. After eight years of flat land and almost no signs of seasonal change, other than hurricanes, we were through with the Sunshine State and headed north. Palm trees are great when you're on vacation, but the Carolina woods and hills called me back. Fortunately, we are beginning my absolute favorite time of year, the autumn, when I can get my fill of apple picking, silly Halloween costumes, pumpkin pie, crisp leaves, cool air and, finally, holiday cheer.

I moved up here with my husband (a former chef--we eat well!), a host of in-laws (yes, that's a good thing), and my two children. Rebekah is a graduate from Ardrey Kell and Appalachian State University, and has just finished her first year teaching high school English. My son Daniel is also an AK grad and is starting his career in real estate.