I graduated with Honors in History from Truman State University and promptly took a job in the travel industry. I had the good fortune to learn about the world by escorting passengers to more than seventy countries. I then got married and attended graduate school, first for a Masters degree in World History and Public History (Museum Studies) at Northeastern University in Boston, and later at Brandeis University where I earned a Masters Degree in American History, with a focus on Environmental History. In graduate shool, I served as a teaching aid for courses ranging from Medieval Europe to the Environmental Studies Senior Capstone Course. While in school, I worked at the Paul Revere House Museum and enjoyed sharing Boston's Revolutionary History with visitors.

As a teacher, my goal is to help students get past date memorization and help develop their analytical abilities. Understanding the context of events is crucial to succeeding in History classes, but more importantly is a skill needed in life.