I love teaching because I love seeing my students engaged with learning. I love to see the "aha" moments when they make connections and are proud of their accomplishments. I am a lifelong learner. I have a BA in Religion (Buddhism) from Carleton College and a MA in Languages and Cultures of Asia from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I have traveled to France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, and China. I've lived in a suburb of Paris, a small farming island of Japan, and also in Lhasa in the Tibetan region for one summer. I taught communications/writing and comparative religion at UW-Madison. Recently, I taught pre-K at a Reggio Emilia inspired school, where learning is child directed. Currently, I wake up very early to teach English as a foreign language to students in China. I love to see the strengths and potential in all people. I believe educators have the responsibility to support equity in education and I consider myself an ally to BIPOC, AAPI, Latinx, LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and other groups. I enjoy reading, writing, photography, gardening (especially with native plants), hiking, gaming, and spending time with my family. I look forward to meeting you!