Mentor Biography

2023 to present

Family members recognized my penchant for exploration and sharing discoveries when I was a young child, and I have known since then that my calling has been to teach.  Just as the hours in a day flit by when doing what you love most, so have the years of my teaching.

My career began in rural Alaska, with the Lower Kuskokwim School District, where I taught high school with one other colleague for five years.  I made a foray into homeschooling for a few years before becoming certified in Waldorf education, and teaching in Anchorage for 14 years at the elementary level.  In 2010, I became the founding teacher of Birchtree Charter School in the Mat-Su Borough School District, teaching and mentoring there for six years.  During the next several years, I served as a mentor, pedagogical director, teacher trainer, and field supervisor for student teachers.  Coming full circle, I was called back to teach in rural Alaska, which is where my heart lies.  I taught middle school and high school for the Yukon Flats School District until becoming a mentor for the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project in 2023.

I recharge for teaching by spending time in Alaska’s wilderness, paddling, hiking, backpacking and skiing.  I enjoy creating things with my hands:  knitting, beading, building, painting, and crafting.  My greatest joy, and hope, is to inspire lifelong learners in any classroom environment.