I started my education in Papillion, Nebraska. I attended Kindergarten at Trumble Park Elementary, and I attended 1st - 8th grade at Sacred Heart School - now called St. Columbkille's Catholic School. In 1980, I graduated from Papillion-LaVista High School. There was only one high school at that time. I spent 1978-1979 in Denmark as an exchange student. When I graduated from high school, I went back to Europe to work and travel and didn't start college until 1981. I graduated from Dana College in 1985 with a BA in German/Danish. I added a secondary teaching endorsement in 1986 and finished an English endorsement and a Master's degree in Education in 1991. I am currently working on a doctorate in educational leadership and have finished everything but the dissertation. I added an international Teaching English as a Second Language certificate in 2015.