I didn't intend to be a teacher. I went to NC State as an agriculture major and came out with a degree in Horticulture with a concentration in design. After graduation, I found myself with an opportunity to move overseas and the only job I could find was at an international Montessori school in Naples, Italy as an assistant in a 9-12 classroom. As fate would have it, I turned out to be pretty good at it so the school offered to train me so I could have my own class the following year. I taught at AI Montessori for three more years and that's where I got the foundation I have today. I learned that you had to have a sense of humor, a sense of purpose, and a sense of wonder, just like the kids in order to connect and for them to learn. I am still friends with many of those kids to this day. Fast forward, I taught the 9-12 at Mountain Pathways for 15 years. During that time I developed a farming and gardening curriculum, planned some spectacular field trips (New York City, The Golden Isles of Georgia), and really dialed in how the 9-12 worked. I left a lot on the field there, but it was an experience I will never forget and am deeply thankful for. Somewhere during that time I got a MA in Sustainable Development with a concentration in education from Appalachian State, became a certified paralegal courtesy of Auburn University, obtained my real estate license, and welcomed both my boys into this world, Ash and Woods. Now as a teacher here at Imagine, I am enjoying my time as a seasoned teacher and time with kids in a slightly different way. I am sharing their educational journey with parents, and it's a partnership that allows for more flexibility and time with my own family. My dedication will always be the same and it is truly a joy to share the Upper El with Addie and I hope we will continue for many years to come.
