What is your experience and training and how did you come to our school?

One of the most remarkable moments of my life was the summer when I was helping with the construction of our family cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tuolumne County, California. My mother brought me a letter sent from the University of California at Berkeley that stated I was accepted to attend the University that Fall. That was an awesome letter! Once I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology at Berkeley, I moved to Newport Beach to attend University of California at Irvine graduate school to study Secondary Science Education. One benefit of living in Newport Beach was that I was able to go surfing every morning during the summer and work nights at Disneyland. I have been teaching high school and middle school science off and on since then.

Because of my enthusiasm for the outdoors, I moved to Wyoming where I completed a Master’s degree in Animal Science at the University of Wyoming, worked on a buffalo ranch outside of Laramie, and chaired the science department at Cheyenne East High School. Oh yes, I also did a lot of fly fishing. Because of my love for science and research, I moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan where I completed a doctorate in Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan followed by six years of postdoctoral training in neuroscience and stem cell biology. After all of that, I was back in the classroom teaching high school and middle school science.

It has been a pleasure to move to Reno to be close to my family and teach science at local charter schools, including The High Desert Montessori School.

Why do you believe in our public charter Montessori school?

It is clear that the High Desert Montessori School shares a commitment to child-centered developmental education—and the life-changing transformations that result from that commitment. Care of self, care of others, and care of the environment is a big part of their education. I look forward to providing opportunities to explore choice and unique learning opportunities for our adolescent learners in the area of science and environmental education. I will be working closely with the team at HDMS and Washoe County School District to deliver the best possible Montessori school experience for our students.