I was born with an adventurous streak! I may have turned my parent’s hair prematurely gray but I lived my childhood with unbridled freedom. Growing up in the Renton/Issaquah area of rainy Western Washington, I was able to build confidence in solving problems, develop bravery to try new experiences, cherish a love of life and excel at story telling. Each day was an opportunity for yet another adventure.

After high school I headed over the mountains to attend Washington State University where I looked forward to cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers. Later, with teaching license in hand, I headed north to Alaska with my husband Whit to instruct in Arctic Village, which is both north of the Arctic Circle and roadless. Arctic Village was entirely Athabascan and I learned as much from my students as they learned from me.

We decided to make Alaska our home and moved onto the road system to Delta Junction at the end of the Alaska Highway. I lived in Delta Junction from 1979 to 2023. My two sons, Jason and Brian, were born in Alaska and were raised under winter’s northern lights and summer’s midnight sun. Currently, I live in Washington State.

I have taught in many areas for the Delta/Greely School District. I have been an elementary classroom teacher at nearly every grade level. I also taught for many years in special education. In addition, I was the elementary physical education teacher and had EVERY child in the school as one of my students. I love teaching! I feel so lucky to have had the honor of working with children and their families. During my tenure as a teacher I was nationally recognized for excellence.

My family and I love to travel and hike. I have been to almost all of the 50 states, all but one of Canada’s provinces and territories and over 30 nations. As a hiker, I have walked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, trekked the Anna Purna Circuit in Nepal and scaled a pass nearly 18.000 feet high, explored the cultures of Bhutan’s roadless backcountry, rambled some of Alaska’s historic trails, watched the sunrise from the top of Kilimanjaro and backpacked all 2,650 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. During these adventures I’ve had many colorful experiences and have met countless, fascinating people from all over the world.

My bucket list continues to grow, not shrink. I am constantly planning the next great adventure, which hopefully includes a visit to your school!

• Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar
• Disney Hand Teacher Honoree
• Alaska Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year
• USA Today Teacher Team
• Appointed to the Professional Teaching Practices Commission by Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski, confirmed by the Alaska Legislature.