About Me
I was born in California, and enjoyed the wonderful opportunity to explore our country throughout my childhood. My parents, ministers for the Salvation Army, received moving assignments frequently which allowed my sister and I to learn and experience the many cities and cultures of the United States has to offer. In 2005, I graduated from Greensburg Salem Senior High School in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Like many graduating seniors, I was unsure of my area of study or what my true passion would develop into upon further study. My hobby of reading, quickly manifested into a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature from the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. After graduating in April 2009, I chose to further my education by obtaining a Masters of Library and Information Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh. As I knew I had always enjoyed young adult literature, I chose to focus my studies on school libraries. I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in December of 2010 with an MLIS and began substitute teaching soon thereafter.
I was hired as the School Library Media Specialist for Longleaf Middle School, one of many schools in the Richland 2 School District, located in Columbia, SC during the summer of 2011. Looking back to my first year of teaching, I realized just how much I learned from my colleagues and students at Longleaf Middle School. While I loved my position and the weather that South Carolina afforded, I missed the closeness of my family who had relocated to Iowa. In the summer of 2012, I was hired to be the K-12 School Library Media Specialist for Wapello Community Schools. My position within the Wapello Community School District grew over three years, starting with the junior and senior high building and expanding to incorporate all grade levels in subsequent years. Through participation in committees and professional development opportunities, I was able to foster deep collaborative relationships with teachers and students. The endeavor which has had the deepest impact on student performance was teaching a daily class, Media Literacy, for 7th and 8th grade students, which strived to teach students the basics of Library Media Center use and effective research strategies. I was also responsible for planning and executing lessons for K-12 students in collaboration with teachers throughout the district. The library curriculum I developed strived to incorporate the AASL (American Associate of School Library) Standards for 21st century learners, Common Core Standards, and ISTE (International Society of Technology in Education) Standards in each lesson. Having developed the Library Media Center Program from its infancy to fit the needs of the students and staff of Wapello Community Schools was crucial to my lasting success as an educator and information specialist.
In the fall of 2015 I moved to Urbandale, Iowa to be the Teacher Librarian for Urbandale High School. The secondary environment of Urbandale High School allows me to focus on my passion of teaching students the 21st century skills they need to be successful at the colligate level. One area I am very proud of developing at UHS was the in-house Makerspace for students and teachers to utilize throughout the school day. The addition of this Future Ready resource brings learning to life and transforms the library space into a Library Media Center ready to teach students for the future.
Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!
I was hired as the School Library Media Specialist for Longleaf Middle School, one of many schools in the Richland 2 School District, located in Columbia, SC during the summer of 2011. Looking back to my first year of teaching, I realized just how much I learned from my colleagues and students at Longleaf Middle School. While I loved my position and the weather that South Carolina afforded, I missed the closeness of my family who had relocated to Iowa. In the summer of 2012, I was hired to be the K-12 School Library Media Specialist for Wapello Community Schools. My position within the Wapello Community School District grew over three years, starting with the junior and senior high building and expanding to incorporate all grade levels in subsequent years. Through participation in committees and professional development opportunities, I was able to foster deep collaborative relationships with teachers and students. The endeavor which has had the deepest impact on student performance was teaching a daily class, Media Literacy, for 7th and 8th grade students, which strived to teach students the basics of Library Media Center use and effective research strategies. I was also responsible for planning and executing lessons for K-12 students in collaboration with teachers throughout the district. The library curriculum I developed strived to incorporate the AASL (American Associate of School Library) Standards for 21st century learners, Common Core Standards, and ISTE (International Society of Technology in Education) Standards in each lesson. Having developed the Library Media Center Program from its infancy to fit the needs of the students and staff of Wapello Community Schools was crucial to my lasting success as an educator and information specialist.
In the fall of 2015 I moved to Urbandale, Iowa to be the Teacher Librarian for Urbandale High School. The secondary environment of Urbandale High School allows me to focus on my passion of teaching students the 21st century skills they need to be successful at the colligate level. One area I am very proud of developing at UHS was the in-house Makerspace for students and teachers to utilize throughout the school day. The addition of this Future Ready resource brings learning to life and transforms the library space into a Library Media Center ready to teach students for the future.
Please feel free to contact me with any additional questions at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!