I earned my Bachelor of Science in Zoology from The Ohio State University and my Master of Arts in Recreational Therapy from The University of Toledo. I am a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). I have taught at the college level but most of my teaching experience comes from the Recreational Therapy world.

I have taught teens with disabilities life skills classes, children with cancer how to understand their illness and treatment in an age appropriate way and stress management techniques. I have taught recreation therapy interns how to implement what they learned in school in real world settings as well as prepare for the CTRS exam.

From a zoology perspective, I have hands on experience with tigers, lions and dolphins. I love using my zoology knowledge to help people learn and understand animals and I love using my recreational therapy knowledge to help people.

Everyone learns differently, but regardless of your learning style, I find that if you make it fun, you will retain the information. I also feel that if you understand the why's of a subject you will gain a deeper understanding as well.

In my spare time, I enjoy exploring the world in which we live, visiting national parks and monuments, volunteering for a variety of cancer organizations, ballroom dancing and spending time with my dogs.