Top left: Teaching a learn to play hockey lesson at Woodland Park. Top Right: My family at our wedding. Bottom left: Hiking at Apgar Lookout

I was born in Marietta, Ga in 1994. As a child, I quickly fell in love with the game of hockey and to be quite honest most of my childhood revolved around that sport. I started playing when I was 5 years old and that was all I wanted to do. I was incredibly lucky to have such supportive parents who would drag me out of bed before school to take me to private lessons and then drive me to team practice after school. I ended up playing a year of junior hockey my senior year of high school and another year after high school in Massachusetts. After my second year of Junior hockey I decided to move on from the game and attend Auburn University in Alabama. 

At Auburn, I majored in Psychology and spent time working in the Trauma and Anxiety Research Lab. We ran research protocols measuring emotional regulation with eye tracking technology that at the time was pretty advanced. While I was studying at Auburn University, my older sister moved out to Whitefish. I would visit her and her husband every year during winter, spring, and summer breaks. 

I graduated college like far too many do – aimless. The only thing I was sure of was the fact that I wanted to move to Montana, so I did. I found myself completing a list of odd jobs, trying to find the one job that I loved – a farm hand at Two-Bear, a baker at Fleur, a teacher’s aide, hockey coach, and a yoga teacher. I found hobbies I was passionate about, but nothing was sustainable. Two weeks before the start of the new school year, there was a posting to work at Kalispell Montessori Elementary School. I decided to apply for a job. I never envisioned myself as a teacher, and I was certainly not a star student back in my elementary school days, but I kept finding myself in teaching roles. 

Two weeks into my new role as a teacher, a passion was ignited inside of me that I’ve never felt before. I was excited to go to work. I loved that every day posed it’s own challenges with a room full of dynamic students. I immediately felt the gravity of my role. I suddenly had 25 children looking up to me as a leader. It was up to me to encourage them, inspire them and most importantly prepare them for the world. On top of that, I now had parents looking to me to answer their questions, reassure them, and work with them to find solutions. It was the most responsibility I’ve ever had, and I found I loved it.

Within that first year of teaching I knew I found a lifelong passion, which is why I began continuing my education. First with Montessori certifications, then by working on my masters degree.

I fell into teaching, with little to no thought, but ended up finding a lifelong passion.