I started teaching in 1998 in the fourth grade at Jury Elementary. After three years of teaching elementary, I completed my middle school degree with an emphasis in Social Sciences and taught 8th grade U.S. History at West Middle School. I observed the gifted classroom and took an interest in learning about the gifted students within my classrooms and how to support their giftedness.  I decided to continue my education by getting certified in gifted education.  After about 10 years of teaching U.S. History, I went to Northwest Middle and taught gifted education for a few years.  Once there was an opening for the gifted position at West Middle School, I decided to join my West Wildcat family once again, where I will remain until my retirement at the end of the 2026 school year.  

I have a son, Danny, who is 15 and will be driving in January of 2024. He attends Marquette High School in Alton, Illinois. I have two dogs (Missy and Olivia) and one cat, Pepper, which I love a lot.  

My passion is playing and coaching volleyball.  I am the 8th grade coach of the WMS volleyball team and have coached the freshmen team at WHS and J.V./Varsity level volleyball at Rosary High School.  My other hobbies are photography, painting, and watching the St. Louis Cardinals.  If you visit my classroom, you will learn that I am a big Cardinals fan.  Just ask the students! I love what I do and I knew I wanted to be a teacher as young as first grade, as I had a dad who taught for 35 years in Ferguson-Florissant at Halls Ferry School.