I was born and raised in beautiful Lewiston, New York, a small town outside of Niagara Falls. I received my degree in elementary education from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and subsequently taught there for five years. I moved to Illinois in 1991, and taught in Skokie for four more years before taking some time off to raise my children. While off, I received my Master’s degree in school counseling from Northeastern Illinois University. I returned to the classroom at Oak Grove School in 2003, where I taught fifth grade for nine years. Since then I’ve taught CES (Curriculum Enhancement Services) reading and language arts to third, fourth, and fifth graders. I’m married and have three children – David, Emily, and Jake, as well as a crazy dog named Bailey. I love to read, travel, and cook. I was an avid runner until recently when an uneven sidewalk met with my wrist. The results were not favorable.