I grew up in the hills behind Humboldt and spent the majority of my time exploring the remote backwoods and byways of HumCo. I attended our locals schools: Jacoby Creek and St. Mary's Elementary School, Arcata High School, College of the Redwoods where I earned an AA, and Humboldt State University where I earned a BA in English, a Secondary Education Teaching Credential in English, and an MA in the Teaching of Writing. I have taught at Humboldt since 1991 and look forward to each semester: getting to know the current students, helping them navigate their first semester of college, and working to build their confidence and knowledge as writers. Outside of teaching, I enjoy almost any outdoor activity—particularly walking the Kneeland Ridge at sunset, fishing, beach combing (looking for agates), snowshoeing— as well acting, baking, reading and writing, and playing the guitar, piano, and violin. My husband Todd teaches Mathematics at CR, and we have two boys, one in high school and the other in middle school. Our ever-growing pet menagerie includes several reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, 26 chickens, Stormy our adventurous cat, and Penny our charming Shih-Apso dog.