I finished my undergraduate degree at North Texas University and, after six years
of teaching Language Arts in an inner city high school in Texas, I moved to Alaska
to begin the greatest adventure of my life. Completing graduate school at UAA was
my next challenge, and I earned my degree as a K-12 Reading Specialist. I taught Language
Arts and served as a literacy coach and trainer in high schools in the Anchorage School
District for 16 years. In 2004, I was honored to serve as Alaska's Teacher of the
Year, traveled to Japan for a Teacher Fulbright in 2006, and earned my National Board
Certification in 2009.
It still excites me when I see the puzzled look on a student's face followed by a
subtle change that reflects the student's mastery of an idea or concept. I believe
that every person is gifted in some way and that true learning takes place when that
gift is discovered and nourished. The Alaska Statewide Mentor Project is a great place
for beginnings and opportunities so that we all can discover our gifts.
