This is my 11th year teaching at Traughber and my 28th year in education.  I grew up and still live in beautiful Downers Grove and began my formal education at the College of DuPage; thinking I might pursue a career in journalism. I attained my associate’s degree in communications and moved on to Southern Illinois University. However, I soon realized I had a greater passion for teaching, switched career paths, and earned my bachelor’s in English with a secondary teaching certificate. After teaching for a few years at Little Friends Inc., my life took me to California for a decade where I taught at Johnson Jr High in Arbuckle, California, and also earned several teaching credentials and a master’s degree in special education from the University of California, Chico.  I greatly enjoy the career path I have taken and cannot imagine myself doing anything else. When I am not at school I greatly enjoy spending time with my son Jake.