I was told once, "there are two kinds of people, those who make a difference and those who make excuses." Although simplistic, there's some truth to this. I love being a teacher because being around students, hungry for learning and making a difference, is so invigorating. Teaching emergency medicine and aviation classes to teenagers in Alaska, I watched students becoming Paramedics, Nurses, P.A.s and Commercial Pilots. Being part of that personal evolution was a great feeling! My education is in science with a B.S. in Biology from Northern Kentucky University and an M.S. in Zoology at Idaho State University. I also received a K-12 teaching endorsement from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. I've worked as a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service, a Biologist for the U.S. Forest Service, and with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. As the science teacher in rural Alaska, I taught middle and high school science classes. I believe education should be interesting, engaging and fun. I love teaching about life on this incredible planet. Birds, of course, are my favorite group of critters.