I graduated from the University of West Alabama with a degree in English and a minor in journalism. I received my Master of Arts in English from the University of Alabama with an emphasis in rhetoric and composition. While I have a wide variety of academic interests, my first love has always been teaching writing. Specifically, I relish helping people generate, organize, develop, and present their ideas so that they can be proud of what they share with others. Some students are afraid to commit to their ideas in writing because they fear being judged or misunderstood. My priority as a teacher has always been to do everything I can to help each student become a more confident writer and communicator. Similarly, I strive to remind students that cultivating and maintaining solid critical thinking, writing, and communication skills will give them significant advantages in achieving their educational, personal, and professional goals.

The classroom is where I learned to develop, utilize, and appreciate my inherent abilities to write and communicate effectively. Because I have limited mobility, I rarely got to go outside and play with other children my age. As a result, reading became my most significant outlet and means of entertainment. I have always been a voracious reader and an avid writer-- both in academic and personal pursuits.

I became a teacher because my undergraduate advanced composition professor told me unequivocally that I should teach writing. This conversation was a turning point because someone else believed that I could help others learn to write. That day, this same professor (who served as my division chairperson) walked me down to the writing lab and introduced me as a new writing tutor to the center director.

From the time that I tutored my first client in developmental writing, I knew that I needed to teach, and I've never really looked back. What being a tutor in college taught me is that one person can really make a definitive, positive difference to a student who is struggling academically.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy spending time on the water with my family as often as possible. I love watching college basketball and football, and I'll take any chance that I get to try a new restaurant on date nights with my husband of 28 years.