I received my B.A. in French with a concentration in Education and a minor in Dance from Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, during my junior year. I immediately attended graduate school with Middlebury College in Paris and received my M.A. in French in 2000.  Always a student, I went back to school to study Spanish, first at the Language Immersion Institute on the SUNY-New Paltz campus, then at SUNY-New Paltz itself. My husband's parents lived in Argentina for many years, and they are delighted that I can speak to them in Spanish - their native language is Italian, and English is actually their third language!  We also have many friends from countries in South and Central America.  I am lucky to have real-world, ongoing ways to continue to practice and refine my Spanish.  As a Dance minor, I love dance and music, and enjoy bringing both of them into my classroom.  My husband's father and mother are both from a small town in Italy, and we visit his relatives there when we can.  This allows me to appreciate where my students are in their language learning adventure;  I understand what it's like for them to not know all the words and to rely on a sympathetic listener and a willing, encouraging teacher to help them along.

I am an active member of several organizations for language educators, including ALOUD, NYSAFLT, and NNELL.  I have been selected as a NYSAFLT Leader of Tomorrow and a Language Advocate for ACTFL, our national organization for World Language teachers.  These organizations keep the language learner in the forefront of our pedagogy, and provide professional development that is up-to-date with research and the modern day classroom.  I present regularly to teachers around the state, Northeast region, and in 2018 presented nationally in New Orleans.