I am a native of Western Pennsylvania, raised on a farm outside of a small county-seat town. I remember helping to milk cows at about five years old, and until I was 18 I helped care for chickens, rabbits, pigs, various dogs and cats, many sheep, and horses.
I attended Penn State to earn my undergraduate degree. I began studying Biology, with hopes to head to medical school or otherwise utilize my love of the science of living things. However, my greatest strength lay with the written word and my wish to work with young people. I changed my major to Secondary Education, English.
While teaching in PA public schools, I earned a Master’s of Education degree in Literacy from IUP. This program prepared me to be certified as a Reading Specialist. I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting struggling readers of all ages.
As I pursue my PhD in Literature and Criticism, I hope to focus my studies on whatever helps me to be a better classroom instructor. I also hope that as I learn, and return to teaching, that I can share my knowledge and experience with other educators in K-12 settings and at the college level.
I live with my husband and three children in Indiana, PA