About me

Hello! Here is my bio for those wondering about the person behind the teacher, or the teacher behind the person.

I grew up on a small sheep and beef farm in Lebanon, NH where I graduated high school and flew the coop to Wyoming. I attended the University of Wyoming and earned my Bachelor's of Science in Wildlife Biology and minored in Creative Writing. I graduated in 2008.

As a student I studied Loggerhead Sea Turtles, American Oyster Catchers, Peregrine Falcons, Least Chipmunks, and Long-tailed Manakins. Most of the work I did was unpaid, but worth every second. I was also a National Crew Leader with the Student Conservation Association, where I lead a crew of 6 high school volunteers. My students were from diverse backgrounds (city kids to country kids). We relocated a section of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. We roughed it for 4 weeks with no access to running water, electricity or toilets. It was a phenomenal experience, being a friend, coach, teacher, medic, and surrogate parent to my six students. That experience was the start of my journey towards being a teacher.

After college, I jetted off to New Zealand and backpacked for three amazing months checking off one species on my life list: the Kiwi bird.

After New Zealand I worked as a field wildlife biologist for Western EcoSystems Technology (WEST) in Wyoming. There I worked with a myriad of species in various gorgeous and windy locales of Wyoming. I studied the:

  • Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse

  • Wyoming Pocket Gopher

  • Black-tailed Prairie Dog

  • Golden Eagle

  • Bald Eagle

  • Ferruginous Hawk

  • Wind turbine fatalities on bird and bat species

On top of fieldwork I also had the pleasure of data entry and report writing. Yes, there is writing in science. Lots of it.

After almost 9 years in Wyoming, I was ready to return to New Hampshire and family. I wanted to do more with my life and so I earned my teaching certificate and Masters of Education at the Upper Valley Educator's Institute in 2014.

Now I'm headed into my 8th year here at Belmont! I am the co-advisor of the Outdoor Environmental Club and the climbing coach.

I love to ski (downhill and cross-country), hike, rock climb, white water raft, canoe, mountain bike, photography (all the webpage heading photos are mine), bird watch, work on my parents farm, and dog agility. My family currently consists of my husband, our two border collies, Tripp and Maddy, our two cats Wilson and Forrest Stump, as well as a dozen chickens and numerous foster dogs.