I graduated from the University of Oregon in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry. I continued my education and earned a Masters degree in Secondary Education in 1999. I have been teaching math and science for the past ten years both in the states and overseas. Although I am certified to teach high school, I love teaching middle school students. Over the past ten years I have taught all levels of 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade math and science. I spent 7 years teaching at Kennedy Middle School in Eugene, Oregon. I started teaching overseas 4 years ago and spent three years teaching in the heart of South America, Asuncion, Paraguay. This is my second year in China and this year I will be teaching 6^th and 7^th grade math and science at Shekou International School. . I am looking forward to meeting all my new students and families and continuing to work with many of my returning 7th graders this year!

I spend most of my spare time with my family which consists of my husband, Mark and my two daughters, Zea (11th grade) and Kyla (9th grade). We are enjoying our experiences living overseas and spend as much time as possible exploring new places. We like to travel a lot and experience new things. In addition to traveling I like to spend my time reading books, mostly ones Zea recommends. Some of my favorites are Eragon, Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Kite Runner. Currently I am really interested in historical fiction, especially related to ancient China. I also love doing crafts, learning new things on the computer, and snowboarding. One of the things that I am most proud of is that my entire family skateboards. My girls are much better than I am but I still get on a board and pull old style tricks.