What do you teach and why did you become a teacher?

I teach biology, AP biology and forensics. I have wanted to be a teacher since I was in the seventh grade. I absolutely loved my teacher that year and she inspired me to go into education. I had excellent high school science teachers and that pushed me to major in biology in college. This is my 35th year in public education.

How do you show your school spirit?

I show my school spirit by supporting my students at various events they are involved in (games, programs, etc.). I wear my school colors with pride!

What or who inspires you?

I am inspired by my students. They keep me going and they are the reason I have stayed in education all these years.

In which other teacher’s class would you like to enroll for a day? Why?

I love all of the sciences, so if I could take another class, I think it would be animal science. It seems like such a fun class. We did not have all of these CTE courses when I was a student.

What is one of your hidden talents?

I guess one of my hidden talents is that I love to cook. Cooking with a new recipe is kind of like completing a science experiment. You gather all of your materials, follow your steps and your final product is like your conclusion. Sometimes, you change things around to see how it changes your product.

If you could pass on any wisdom to your students, what would you share?

I always tell my students how much I love what I do, so my wisdom for them is to pick a career/subject/job that they enjoy going to each day. When you really enjoy what you do, it does not seem like work.

What is a professional motto or quote that you “work” by?

It is not that I "have to" go to work today, it is that I "get to" go to work today! There is a big difference between those two phrases.

What do you enjoy most about working in Union County Public Schools?

I taught in two districts in South Carolina prior to my current job in UCPS. Those districts were much smaller. I absolutely love the diversity of UCPS and Sun Valley High. I love that we get to offer so many cool classes and opportunities for our students. I love biology, of course, but I also love that I get to teach forensics. In smaller districts/schools, they don't offer so many options for courses. Our students are lucky to have all of these choices.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

If I had a superpower, I would want it to be a superfast reading ability. It takes a while to read over student work because I want to make sure that I assess correctly.  

List five adjectives that describe your personality?

• Organized
• Caring
• Supportive
• Driven
• Focused