My Story
My story began in Wheaton, Illinois, where I grew up with my supportive parents and loving older brother. Ever since second grade, I wanted to be a teacher and an author. Today, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve achieved both of those dreams, but it took a lot of work to get there. I attended Huntington University where I majored in Elementary Education. After graduating and getting married in 2006, my husband and I moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado where I began teaching fifth and sixth grade. After four years of teaching at the elementary level, I got my master’s degree in Creative Writing and Literature from Fairleigh Dickinson University. This led to a three-year stint as a seventh-grade Language Arts teacher before transitioning to high school English where I have been teaching ever since. During my entire teaching career, I have also served as the high school speech and debate coach, a role I still passionately hold today.
My writing career began when I self-published my first book Living in the True Spirit of Christmas in 2015. I was blessed to have my daughter in 2017 and shifted my focus to writing picture books in 2020. I joined writing groups and became a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). I was lucky to sign with my agent in 2022 and secured a book deal with Sleeping Bear Press in 2023 for my debut picture book, The Lonely Lighthouse, slated for release in 2026. I am deeply committed to bringing stories to life and am excited to share many more with readers in the future.
