I was born and raised in Salem, Oregon. I went on to attend college at Western Oregon University and graduated with a B.S. degree in Education with a focus on middle school math and science. In 2001, my family and I moved to Lancaster, CA where I taught middle school math, science, and PLTW (STEM). In 2011, I had the opportunity to work with NASA in the AREES program. It is through this program and the people I met, that my love of STEM grew. I earned a Master's degree from Adams State University and a Leadership in STEM certificate from Teacher's College Columbia University in 2015. After fifteen years in the desert, we moved back to Oregon where I currently serve as STEM consultant for Clackamas ESD.