I was born and raised in Lansing, Michigan. After I graduated high school, I got married and had three beautiful daughters! Being a devoted wife and mother, I hadn't yet figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. It wasn't until a few years later, that I got more active in my church and volunteered to be a Sunday school teacher. Immediately, I fell in love and found immense joy out of educating children and watching them grow in their knowledge.  I loved it so much, that I eventually became the Sunday school director, where I oversaw other teachers and made sure they instilled the same love and passion of teaching in their classroom as I had in mine. This was the time I decided to pursue a degree in education to become a certified teacher. 

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After an amazing experience at Michigan State University, I gained a wealth of knowledge and experiences that I could never gain on my own. Once I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education degree, I was able to apply everything I learned in my own classroom and continue to grow as an educator. In just a few, short years of being a teacher, I could see a transformation of the traditional classroom developing. Technological tools that supported daily instruction was becoming essential to redefine student learning in order to prepare our students for the 21st century world. I quickly developed a passion for technology and wanted to learn what it meant to use it in the classroom to support student achievement. 

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The Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) was a perfect program for me. It definitely enlightened my preconceived thoughts I once held about what technology in the classroom should look like and how it can support student learning. Currently, I am taking my last course in the program, and I will have my degree this year. I am thankful for the MAET program as I've learned more than I ever thought I could. I now feel well prepared to begin using technology to support my students and feel ready to help or coach other teachers through it as well. 

 

Throughout this journey, I've had an amazing support from my family and friends! There is no doubt it was a challenging road, but I did manage to continue to enjoy things I love to do such as spending time with family, traveling, and cooking! Traveling in particular is our number ONE favorite thing to do as a family. We've been to several places, way too many to show on just one page, and always have the best time. It's a great way for my family and I to unwind from our hard work and treat ourselves to something relaxing and special. For all of this, I am truly thankful to have experienced this journey as an individual and as a 21st century educator. I am truly thankful to be a SPARTAN! 

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