Tell us about yourself!

This is my 25th year as a public school teacher. During this time, I’ve taught grades 2-5 and reading support. Currently, I am the elementary technology specialist for my school district.

I knew when I was in 4th grade that I wanted to become a teacher. That year, I had a dedicated teacher who saw something in me and pushed me to reach my potential. Now, I want to give that back to other kids. What I love most about teaching is the relationships I make with kids along the way. I might only have them in my classroom for a short period of time, but I can have a lasting effect on students’ lives.

Outside of the classroom, I volunteer a local Unitarian Universalist Church. I have also volunteered with Girl Scouts and my local school district.

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

Future Goals program uses a high-energy game like ice hockey to illustrate STEM concepts. Students often struggle to see the real-life applications of STEM concepts. Through Hockey Scholars, students can see how concepts like force, angle, or radius impact the hockey. Additionally, Future Goals shows students that there are a number of opportunities to be involved in sports. For example, a student who enjoys math and hockey could have a career in the front office as data engineer.

Who is your favorite NHL player?

My current favorite NHL player is Sean Couturier. He’s a US-born player who’s worked to change and improve his game during his career as a Philadelphia Flyer. During his first few seasons Couturier was more of a defensive forward, but evolved to become more offensive-minded. During the 2020-21 season, he won the Gene Hart Memorial Award, which is given to the Flyer “who demonstrated the most “Heart” during the season”. Plus, Couturier is fun to watch!

If you played hockey, what position would you play?

When I was growing up, ice hockey wasn’t something girls did in my community. As a child, I always loved skating and even playing street hockey in the neighborhood. I wish I’d had the opportunity to play hockey as a kid. More recently, my daughter played ice hockey and I am so grateful that she was able to experience that! If I played hockey, I would play left wing. I have a right-handed shot so coming up the ice on the left side would put me in good scoring position.