I grew up in the Marine Corps and in doing so I moved around a lot as a kid...like a lot. I've moved 8 times by the time I turned 18 including Jacksonville, NC, Quantico, VA, Monterey, CA, Maadi, Egypt, Woodbridge, VA, and San Onofre, CA. While moving was always difficult, I wouldn't change a moment of it. As I moved so many times it has given me many opportunities to see America and a little bit of the world. Moving around made me want to be a teacher as school was one of the few things that remained constant in my life.
I graduated from high school in Woodbridge, VA and decided to head to Virginia Tech to study to be an elementary school teacher...and realized that wasn't my age group. I switched majors to history with a concentration in US history and graduated with my Bachelor of Arts (History). I decided to remain at Virginia Tech to get my Masters in Education and Curriculum so that I could teach middle and high school history and social studies.
After Virginia Tech I moved back to northern Virginia to get a teaching job in Fairfax County Public Schools in Alexandria. I remained there for four years, teaching a variety of courses including World History I (Paleolithic-Renaissance), AP World History, US/VA history, AP US history, and Leadership (Student Government Association).
During the summer of 2015, my husband accepted a job in Charlotte and I followed. I was fortunate to get a job at Independence and in the Academy of International Studies. The people I work with and the students I work for make my day unique and I wouldn't change a thing.
Something that parents and students should know about me is that I work incredibly hard for my students. I create lesson plans that not only teach historical content, but also allow students to practice skills such as reading, writing, analyzing, etc. Students will be pushed to think beyond themselves and take on different perspectives to understand just what our place is in history.