I attended St. Francis University (Loretto, PA) to obtain my bachelor's degree in English with secondary teaching certification. After beginning my professional teaching career at Serra Catholic High School, I decided to go back to school to obtain my master's degree in English with a focus on digital media arts. I attended Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA), and earned my master's in 2014. I have aspirations of returning to school to obtain my principal certification, as well as my doctorate in English, but for now, I am happy in my classroom! I currently teach English at Carrick High School, which is part of the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

I have always tutored students, to some extent, in a variety of settings. Most often, I tutor my own students during their study halls or lunch periods, but I also tutored when I was an undergraduate student at St. Francis. I most often tutor any type of English/Language Arts courses, writing, journalism and SAT/ACT prep. Students typically find English and writing to be challenging, but I have found that helping my students make personal connections to content makes it easier for them to understand. English is also fun for me to tutor because I am able to find outside popular culture references that are fun to discuss!

Helping students find their individual strengths plays into my philosophy of teaching. My job is to guide students in such a way that they find their strengths and learn how to successfully use them within a classroom. I also believe that providing students with tools to work through challenging tasks will allow them to be successful throughout their entire lives.

Outside of teaching, I have a number of hobbies. My favorite thing to do is spend time with my son, my friends and my dog, Scooter. Along with that, I enjoy running and training for foot races. I participate in the half-marathon each year, as well as various footraces in and around Pittsburgh. Some of my other interests include reading, swimming, working on art projects (mostly to decorate my house!) and watching reality television. I am always excited to learn new things and meet new people, too!