This will be my third year at Juniper, and I'm thrilled to welcome our youngest learners to a wonderful, caring community! I have taught in both classroom and outdoor nature-based settings throughout the past eight years while living in CO, CT, and Australia. I am working towards an M.S.Ed degree in Transformative Teaching with a specialization in Social and Emotional Learning. I have a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University where I studied Psychology, Education, and Environmental Science. I also hold a certificate in Waldorf Philosophy. I am passionate about supporting holistic development, facilitating child-centered learning, and nurturing meaningful relationships.

In my free time, you'll find me outside! I love hiking, trail running, camping, photography, and reading. I moved to Durango in 2024, though I grew up in Colorado near Boulder where I attended a K-8 charter school myself.

Hello hello! Before moving to lovely SW Colorado, I attended the University of Arkansas, where I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Educational Studies. Over the years I have gained experience in a variety of traditional and outdoor educational settings, and cannot wait to combine the skills I have learned through both in my classroom this year. 

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I am passionate about building a community of excited learners in my classroom, exploring and learning in the great outdoors, and continuing to learn from my students and wonderful fellow educators! In my free time you can find me trail running, walking my dog, reading, biking, skiing, exploring the San Juans with friends, and eating lots of yummy food afterwards! I am incredibly excited to start my 2nd year at Juniper and teach the wonderful 2nd grade students! 

I’ve lived in Colorado for 26 years, with my husband of 31 years.  We have two adult daughters. Zoe, a writer in New York, and Hannah, an artist here in Durango. We love Durango, and are so happy to call it home. I live a very active lifestyle, and enjoy running, biking, hiking, paddle boarding, skiing and more!  I have a Master’s degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity.  This will be my eleventh year teaching first grade!  I’m delighted to be working with such an amazing group of educators at The Juniper School, and am always so excited to meet new students, and reconnect with returning kiddos!  As a teacher I hope my students walk away with more confidence and a life-long love of learning!

This is my first year teaching at Juniper and back in the classroom after a break. I grew up in Michigan and moved to Durango in 2018, primarily for the outdoor adventure opportunities. My weekends are full of hiking, mountain biking, and spending time with the community I've found here. I have a Bachelor's in elementary education and I taught for five years previously in 2nd and 3rd grade before taking an opportunity to work in project management for a tech company - but my heart missed teaching too much, and so I am thrilled to be returning to it! I hope I can help foster students' curiosity about the world and inspire confidence in themselves!