My teaching history began with music instruction to students ages 10-70 18 years ago.  I grew up in North Carolina playing the saxophone at Durham School of the Arts, and attended The University of North Carolina at Greensboro for an undergraduate degree in saxophone performance.  I've been in the Ann Arbor area now since 2009 when I came to the University of Michigan for a masters degree in saxophone performance.  It is then when I started teaching, performing, and building relationships in the Ann Arbor community.

In 2021 I went back to the University of Michigan for a Master of Arts in Teaching with Elementary Certification. I student-taught at Mitchell Elementary in Kindergarten with Lisa Thomson as my mentor. There I fell in love with teaching young children and learned how magical Kindergarten can be. I’ve made so many connections between the art of learning to read, write, and count that directly correlate to how we learn and teach music. Following Mitchell Elementary I worked at Towsley Children’s House in their forest preschool program as a teacher.  It is there I learned the importance of play-based learning, social and emotional learning, as well as having a connection with nature and the world around us.  

I love all things music, cooking, gardening, art.  I also love spending time with friends, being outdoors, and playing with my Husky, Franklin!

I am excited to be a Carpenter Cougar as well as grow alongside the students and staff here!