Biography

I am a native of northwestern Iowa, where I was born into a family of teachers. During my primary and secondary school years, I was a “music/theatre kid” and participated in numerous vocal solo competitions throughout high school. I was also accepted to the Iowa All-State Choir.

Aside from music, I have always been an avid reader, a lover of the English language, and a person obsessed with all things history! The people and events of the past have always fascinated me. I had questions about how people in different times lived like like “why did they make the choices they made?” and “what came about because of those choices?” I proudly call myself a history nerd and love helping others to discover their inner history nerd too.

After high school, I attended Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN where I earned two undergraduate degrees: a BA in history and a BMusic in Vocal Performance (Opera). I then ventured to Chicago where I completed my MEd at DePaul University with an emphasis in Secondary Social Studies.

After graduating from DePaul, I embarked on a 10-year career as a high school history teacher. As a classroom teacher, I loved making the study of history fun, relevant, and useful for my students. As a tutor, I am able to bring in some of my classroom teaching skills but also cater more closely to the needs and interests of my individual students.

At AJ, I enjoy working with students in grades 6-12 in history, English, reading, and writing. For high school students, I am also available for tutoring in AP history. I am especially knowledgeable in AP US History, a subject that I taught for 7 years!

My goal as a tutor is to give my students the strategies, skills, and confidence they need to succeed – whether it be with in-class discussions, primary/ secondary source or literature analysis, tests, or essay writing. I also work with students to develop coping strategies for stress and anxiety around academics.

When I’m not at AJ, you can find me working on another MEd degree (this time in Education Technology & Instructional Design), hanging out with my cat and boyfriend, and/or curled up in my giant fluffy reading chair working toward my 2025 reading goal of 65 books. (I read 50 in 2024!) I’m always looking for book recommendations. Let me know what you’re reading at your next session!