About Me

I have twenty-five years of experience in education and this is my ninth year at BCE.  My love of literacy and working with English language learners began with serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers In Service to America).  I established community after-school reading programs for English language learner children and trained literacy tutors with the San Diego Council on Literacy.  My experience as an AmeriCorps*VISTA propelled me towards Teach For America.  

As a Corps Member of Teach for America in the San Francisco Bay Area, I taught English Immersion to kindergarten students in East Palo Alto, California.   I earned a Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development, (CLAD), multiple subject teaching credential from San Jose State University, and a Master of Arts in Teaching Specializing in Reading Instruction from National University in La Jolla, California.  After completing my commitment to Teach for America, I returned to Houston, Texas.

In my first year in Houston, I taught second grade at a private parochial school in Galena Park, Texas.  The next year, I returned to public education with the Houston Independent School District.  I taught first grade and was selected to serve as a Reading First campus literacy coach for grades kindergarten through third grade.  

In 2006, my husband and I moved to Austin.   I wanted to continue to work with English language learners.  I taught fifth-grade reading and social studies in the Del Valle Independent School District.  Later, I completed the Principal Certification Network program at Region 13 and became an assistant principal.  In the summer of 2013, my son was born and I accepted a district position as a District Curriculum Coordinator for grades PK-5 serving nine elementary campuses.

In 2016, I joined Barton Creek Elementary as a Campus Support Specialist and this has been a wonderful and wanted balance for my work and family life.  I love being at Barton Creek and teaching our wonderful Blue Jays!  

I completed my Wilson Language WRS Level 1 certification during the 2017-2018 school year.  I continued with my Wilson Language WRS Level 2 certification for small group instruction in January 2021 becoming certified as a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner.  In March of 2025, I became certified as a Wilson Dyslexia Therapist.

In my free time, I am a Team Manager for Destination Imagination for the Texas Capital Region.  The DI Knights earned first place at Regionals in the spring of 2025 and continued to the Texas State competition earning 4th place and advanced to the Global Finals in Kansas City, Mo.  The team earned 18th place out of 41 international middle school teams in the Fine Arts Challenge.  I am the Troop Committee Chair for Scouting America Troop 1010.  I am in my last year as an ordained lay Elder for University Presbyterian Church and chairperson for Christian Formation.  I love stretching myself in other leadership positions outside the classroom.

A little about me and my family...   I am a mom, aunt, great-aunt, daughter, stepdaughter, sister, and step-sister.  My childhood experience was moving between divorced parents and eventually blended families.  I grew up between Casper, Wyoming, and Houston, Texas.  I had the luxury of spending my school years in Houston and my summer vacations in Wyoming.  I graduated from the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Science in Communication.  Go, Cowboys! My husband and I met through mutual friends in Houston.  I am the mother of a very energetic son who is a middle schooler.  I enjoy spending time with my family and our dog!   

I love to cook for my family and friends - trying a new food or recipe is always an adventure.   My son and I enjoy reading together and hiking our neighborhood greenbelt.  I enjoy reading humorous novels and historical fiction.  Our family also enjoys being outdoors, playing board games, and card games.