My education began at UW-Baraboo where I earned an associate of arts and science degree. During that time period of my life, I was working part-time as a welder, raising a family, and attending school part-time, so it took me seven years to complete the degree. From there I attended UW-Madison where I received a certificate in creative writing and a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Letters and Science. While attending UW-Madison, I also worked as an intern at the University of Wisconsin Press, where I wrote book jacket blurbs to entice book reviewers to read the Press’s first-run manuscripts. After graduating from UW-Madison, I then substitute taught before enrolling at Edgewood college, where I went on to earn my teaching certification and a master's degree in education.