Mentor Biography

2022 to Present

I’m delighted to become a mentor for early career teachers! I didn’t have an official mentor when I first began teaching, but I know that the help I received from colleagues who unofficially mentored me helped me to become a successful teacher. I’m excited to have the opportunity to provide other teachers with tools to help enhance their teaching practices. In doing so, it is my hope to help students become successful by helping their teachers. I’m originally from Petersburg, Alaska. I decided to become a teacher after my son’s Head Start teacher encouraged me to pursue a teaching career. I graduated from Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, AK with a BA in Elementary Education in 1996. I began my teaching career with the Lower Yukon School District in the communities of Alakanuk and Mt. Village. I then taught for 21 years with the Sitka School District. In my 25 years of teaching, I taught first, second, third, and sixth grades as well as serving as a reading interventionist for K-1 students. I was most recently the online teacher for kindergarten and first grade for the 2020-2021 school year. I’m looking forward to beginning a new chapter in education.