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I have taught at Ivy Tech Community College since 2000 starting off as an adjunct faculty while I was employed as the Executive Director of a Not-For-Profit Child Care Center in South Bend. I transitioned to Ivy Tech as a full-time Early Childhood Education faculty in 2009 and received the highest-ranking position as a professor (F-5) in 2019. I am also pinching myself to receive the 2020 Faculty of the Year Award recently! However, as an educator, we know our goal is not the accolades but the impact we have on others and that is how I want to lead in this early childhood field that I am passionate about! I am also proud to be part of the faculty team that worked so hard to receive the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)'s Higher Education Accreditation at my own campus, Ivy Tech South Bend/Elkhart campus in March 2018.

I graduated from Bethel College, Mishawaka, with a double major in Psychology and Sociology which makes a great combination to work with people! I intentionally chose to complete my Masters in Environmental and Public Affairs at IU South Bend with a focus on early childhood organizational systems and policies to match my interest to be a public servant. I also started my journey in 2020 to start my doctoral studies in educational leadership with a concentration in early childhood education.

I bring in a wealth of experience and knowledge in the early childhood education field of over 30 years which makes my stories in class relevant and interesting. I continue to keep abreast in our field by serving in the community, as well as within our state to make sure research and practice are heard by our decision-makers. Therefore, I continue to serve as Past President of the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC). I like the thrill of being in the midst of challenges (somewhat) and being part of the solution! 

My teaching philosophy is simply the belief in "active learning" for children AND adult learners! Someone once told me about the connection of the heart (passion), head (knowledge), and hand (action). I hope you will share my passion for high-quality care and education for young children and families as I teach from my heart, head, and hand!