I never wanted to be a teacher. When I was in high school and college, I thought I would work in the business world like my father. While earning a business degree at William Jewell College, I volunteered with high school students and quickly realized how much I enjoyed working with that age group. Shortly after I graduated from William Jewell, I went to Rockhurst University to earn a teaching certificate and began teaching at Fort Osage High School. I have now taught at Fort Osage longer than any of my students have been alive. Most days, I love coming to work! Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to connect with students.

My other role at Fort Osage High School is coaching tennis. I am the head coach for both the boys and girls tennis teams. I greatly enjoy the opportunity to  work with such amazing student athletes.

In my spare time, I love to travel. I spend most summers in other parts of the country or other parts of the world. For the past 20 years, I have spent a few weeks each summer on a Lakota Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. I have also made a habit of visiting Yellowstone National Park for the past several years. I try to bring someone new each year. Some of my favorite international travel experiences have been in France, Ghana, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Scotland, and Spain.

I enjoy playing acoustic guitar. I have a Takamine and a Taylor guitar. I like to learn almost any genre of music; although, some sound better on an acoustic guitar than others. I mostly play for myself. However, I often help lead music for the youth group at my church in Liberty.

I don't have children of my own. But, I like to spoil my nephew and niece when I can.