Degrees
Experience
What do you love about teaching?
I love seeing that spark in my students' eyes, that look of enlightenment when they finally understand what I'm explaining. It is so thrilling when they remember what I've taught them and are able to make connections to real-life situations.
How did you end up becoming a teacher?
Teaching has always been my passion. The opportunity to teach at Highlands came up last school year at the same time that I was re-evaluating my career path. I think that teaching at Highlands helped me "rediscover my first love." I was hooked, and here I am again this year.
How do you invest in the lives of young people outside of class?
I have been a youth leader at my church for as long as I can remember being involved in youth fellowship, Bible studies, camps, mission trips, and musical/drama productions. Currently, I serve as one of the advisers for the new generation of youth leaders. It is a blessing to be involved in the "passing of the torch".
What's changed most since you were in high school?
Definitely the advances in personal technology; cell phones, mp3 players, personal computers. I'm just amazed how available these things are to young people nowadays. How did I ever survive not having these things back then?
Name some interesting places in the world you've visited
Cuzco and Machu Picchu, Peru; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Kusadasi, Turkey; Santorini, Greece; Barcelona, Spain; Florence, Italy; Nice, France; Innsbruck, Austria; Lucerne, Switzerland; Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Name some interesting jobs you had before you became a teacher
I was a "Gene Profiler". I basically extracted RNA from cells and profiled their genes using microchip array technology.
What was the most interesting thing you've taught?
Teaching the human reproductive system to my freshman class last school year. It was supposed to be a week long lesson, but it lasted for almost a month. The students really got into it and asked a ton of questions, which of course I answered to the best of my ability.
Life motto:
"If it's too easy, it's not worth doing"
What are you most excited about in this new partnership?
I'm excited about the prospect of being a part of something that is going to be really great. We've got an awesome staff, first class facilities, and a God-centered purpose. What more could we ask for?