I earned both my undergraduate and master’s degrees from Calvin College. My teaching career began at Timothy Christian Middle School in 2005, and I have been teaching at Holland Christian Middle School since 2015. My husband, Eric, and I have three children, and we enjoy biking and hiking together as a family. On the weekends, you can often find me coaching my kids’ teams and cheering them on from the sidelines. One of my favorite parts of teaching English is exploring stories with students and discovering the information and life lessons books have to offer. Some of the best novels are written with middle schoolers in mind, and I love diving into them alongside my students. I also love witnessing students find their voice in writing and getting to read their unique thoughts, ideas, and perspectives. It is truly a joy to do this work in a nurturing, Christ-centered community.