I grew up in the Holland area and love living in such a beautiful corner of the world. Having lived away for a while, I appreciate the Great Lakes all the more. After graduating from Grand Valley State University with my secondary teaching degree and an English major and Spanish minor, I accepted my first teaching job in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a junior high English teacher. In addition to teaching, I also got to enjoy one of my great loves, downhill skiing! I moved back home to West Michigan two years later to marry my husband, Rob. I worked for the next three years in the Kenowa Hills School district teaching at both the middle and high school level. Since then, I have been raising my family, which now includes three boys, James, Andrew, and Isaac.

I love teaching English because I believe in the power of the written word. Words, written well, can challenge, illuminate and transform a person. That is my hope for each and every student, that the reading and writing in my classes encourages personal growth and transformation.