Education

I received my BA in Mathematics and German from Wake Forest University; my MA in German from The Ohio State University (which takes the “The” very seriously); and my MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University. Although this may seem like a bizarre combination of degrees (and probably is!), I’ve found that this educational breadth has provided me with an unique mix of expertise that has been useful both in my positions within academia as well as when tutoring students.

Professional Career

I spent the first decade of my professional life working and teaching in higher education. I began by teaching beginning German courses at The Ohio State University, then transitioned to the Twin Cities where I worked in the Writing Center at the Minnesota School of Business and taught English as an adjunct instructor at Hamline University. I then received a full-time position at the Minnesota School of Business, first as Writing and Math Center Coordinator, then Service-Learning Coordinator, and ultimately as General Education Coordinator, all while also teaching English courses on campus. Then, for three years, I served as the Director of Community-Based Learning at Inver Hills Community College. In this position, I worked with students, instructors, and community agencies to form partnerships that allowed students to apply course concepts in a real-world setting while serving  the community in meaningful ways.

I also LOVE to present to and/or train groups, and have been told that I have a knack for engaging, connecting with, and inspiring my audience. I’ve been invited by instructors, college staff, and conference organizers as a guest speaker, presenter and keynote panelist at conferences both locally and nationally.

Interested in learning more? You can read published articles or watch videos of me talking about my work here. You can also see me in action on Power Up Prep’s YouTube Channel, where I provide free curriculum and materials for students who cannot afford ACT prep.

Personal

I oftentimes tell people that my life has come full circle – at least geographically! I was born in Minnesota and spent the first ten years of my life in Rosemount and Eagan before my family moved to Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from high school, I attended Wake Forest University in North Carolina, taking a year-long hiatus to study abroad at the Freie Universitaet in Berlin, Germany. After graduating from Wake Forest in 2005, I circled north to Columbus, Ohio to study in the German doctoral program at The Ohio State University. After two seasons of Buckeye football and taking a creative writing class in German and loving it, I graduated with my Masters degree and decided that writing in English could be even more fun. I applied to Creative Writing programs throughout the country and determined that my next stop would be the Masters in Fine Arts program at Hamline University, which brought me back to Minnesota.

My return to Minnesota has brought me incredible happiness. I met and married my wonderful husband Casey, have had a series of incredibly fulfilling jobs, and – most importantly – now get to spend my days hanging out with my ten-year-old daughter (Maddie) and my seven-year-old son Hank.

 

In the free time I squeeze in between taking care of children and tutoring, I enjoy staying active (I ran the Twin Cities marathon on my 30th & 40th birthdays and have cycled the Headwaters 100 with Casey), eating lots of vegetables (as my family likes to remind me, I once snacked on so many carrots that the soles of my feet turned orange!), reading the Health and Science section of the Sunday newspaper (fascinating!), taking on baking projects (usually with Maddie and Hank), and spending lots of quality time with my family.