I’ve always loved being outdoors, running around barefoot for as long as I can remember. I vividly recall wading through the neighborhood swamp, collecting toads and gathering wildflowers into messy little bouquets. Even now, as an adult, I still feel most at home outside—whether I’m birdwatching, hiking, or swimming.
While earning my Bachelor’s in Biology, I discovered a deep passion for conservation. A turning point came when a professor recognized my potential and invited me to assist with research alongside graduate students in a lab focused on pollinator abundance. That experience opened a door for me—I became captivated by the ways human activity affects wildlife and knew I wanted to dedicate my career to studying the connection between people and the natural world. Later, studying Tropical Field Ecology in Costa Rica and documenting over 200 bird species I had never encountered before only deepened my love for exploration and solidified my path forward.
When COVID disrupted my plans to begin a Master’s program in Marine Conservation in the South, I found myself working at a local greenhouse. There, I discovered how much I enjoyed sharing plant knowledge with others. That experience ultimately led me to choose a different career path—one that allows me to combine my love for nature with my passion for helping people.
Shortly after beginning my Master’s in the Art of Teaching Secondary Education at Oakland University, I joined the Department of Teaching and Learning as a Graduate Research Assistant. In this role, I contributed to research for the National Art Education Association by conducting interviews, gathering data, and co-authoring a paper with out-of-state colleagues to summarize the study’s findings. Additionally, I collaborated with the OpenSciEd Developer’s Consortium to support the development of K–5 science curriculum.
I’ve accumulated over 650 hours substitute teaching in both general and special education classrooms. Prior to teaching, I worked as the Lead Caregiver of Musson Elementary before/after school care program and as a Summer Camp Counselor with Rochester Community Schools. I love teaching because there’s never a dull moment when I’m leading a classroom of students, we both never know what to expect from each other which keeps learning experiences interesting on a daily basis.
