About Me!
I had the pleasure and beauty of growing up in a small town in upstate New York. Following graduation from Oneida High School, I attended Bay Path College in Longmeadow, Massachusetts where I received an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts. I then transferred to Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts, where I majored in Psychology and minored in Elementary Education. I began my career in education while at Merrimack as a mentor to drug addicted and neglected young children for the MSPCC. Throughout college, I also worked as a preschool teacher. This is when I completely fell in love with the adventures of learning, exploring and growing with young children.
After visiting Colorado a few times with my high school sweetheart and now husband, we moved here following my college graduation. Since moving here in 1995, I have worked as a director of a preschool and a Kindergarten and 1st Grade Teacher. I also received my Master’s in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Colorado.
I was blessed to join the Shepardson family in 2000. During my time at Shepardson, I have had the joy of teaching both Kindergarten and 1st grade. People have always said I am a kid at heart which is probably why my path led to teaching. Each day is an adventure as a teacher! Some days are exhausting, and some days are exhilarating. But every day is a journey like no other! I have been blessed to have so many children and families touch my heart year after year and help me and inspire me to grow and be the best I can be! I am proud to call Shepardson my home away from away and work with such an amazing group of educators.
My family has had the joy and beauty of living by Horsetooth Reservoir since we moved here. My husband and I enjoy the “Tooth” with our 2 beautiful amazing daughters who enlighten our days and fill our hearts! I am also proud to say both our daughters completed their elementary years at Shepardson. I love to play, explore and create. I treasure my family and friends and all our moments together. My favorite days are ones where I am outside boating, hiking, exploring, laughing and having fun! I admire nature and anything in it including things that are creepy and crawly. The only creatures that make me shiver are bats and rats! There really isn't anything I don't enjoy (other than bad smells, humidity, golf and cooking.) I absolutely love games and have a very large collection! I love to curl up with a good book, travel to new places, especially those that are tropical. My daughters, Cloey and Sophie have helped me grow and be the best I can be and brought my husband and I so many unexpected experiences that I am grateful every day to be their mom. They have also helped me to be a better teacher through their school experiences and insights. We are all big animal lovers in our family and our Golden Doodle Stanley and Mini Dachshund Selah also share our journeys with us.
My hope is each 1st grader leaves my classroom with a love of learning, joy for school and a feeling of value and belonging. Sharing the days with 1st graders is truly the best adventure! Welcome to our 1st grade family!