I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved to Raleigh in 2003 when I was hired as a third grade teacher at another Wake County School. I taught third grade for six years before I moved up to fifth grade. I then moved to Mills Park Elementary school where I spent three more years teaching fifth grade. After my time at the elementary school, I joined the MPMS staff and spent three years as a 6th grade science teacher. This will be my nineteenth year teaching and my sixth year in 8th grade! I was recently named a finalist for the Presidential Award for Science teachers in NC. I am one of 3 finalists in the state and hoping to get good news about the winner this year.

My interests include cooking, watching Pittsburgh sports (especially my Steelers!), reading, listening to live music, traveling to visit friends and family, and spending time with my three kitties. I have traveled to Germany, the Czech Republic, and Italy in the past several years to learn more about how science is done around the world. I use this information to coach other teachers in the county, and to make learning come alive for my students. I am passionate about integrating STEM education into my curriculum and it has proven to be a lot of fun and educational at the same time. This year, we will explore our curriculum using project based learning. Science has always been one of my favorite subjects, and I am so excited about the year ahead!