Tell us about yourself!

As a fourth-grade teacher, I have absolutely loved instructing students over the past five years. I went into the teaching profession because of how rewarding it is to watch students grow and accomplish great things throughout the school year, and I also am ecstatic about the levels of creativity and high levels of thinking that I encounter with them each day. It additionally helps that fourth graders are knee-slapping hilarious, and I walk out of class smiling daily! What I love most about teaching is that much like a team sport, our school’s staff and community always comes together to support one another. I also highly enjoy working within our local community by co-leading our Student Leadership program alongside of my colleague, and we continue to be incredibly impressed by how much our learners give-back during our outreach events, such as through past Food Drives or our Crayon Drive for a local hospital. As well, I was able to watch students become so engaged and multifaceted in their talents while I was volunteering as a Math Olympiad instructor last spring online during COVID-19 closures. It was heartwarming to see that even during unideal circumstances children are filled with resilience, passion, and perseverance.

Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?

Ryan Donato is my favorite NHL player because I was able to watch him score the very first goal for the Seattle Kraken. How historic!

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

My favorite part of the Future Goals program has been the high levels of engagement that my students show, and they express loving their learning through this program. STEM in hockey has been displayed in so many ways! We are learning about angles while we interact with the lessons.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

Though I didn’t play hockey growing up, I did play lacrosse which helped me to understand hockey better when I first began to watch it since they share many similarities. I played goalie, and I can only imagine the talent it takes to be an NHL goalie given the speed and intensity I see on the ice. If I were to play hockey myself, I’d still want to give this position a try. But, baby steps first, perhaps I should start with learning to skate!