I joined the ranks of exceptional education when our daughter Eleanor was born with Down Syndrome. My formal background is in science (Chemistry B.A.) and secondary education, but Eleanor's birth marked a new path -- a pursuit of best practices in education, instruction, and building community. Since that time, I have worked with speech therapists, occupational therapists, educators, paraprofessionals, and parents to create more inclusive schools for all the students in our district. In 2012 I earned a master’s degree in education (Concordia University) with an emphasis in creating inclusive classrooms. I joined Everybody Matters in 2020 and trained as an intern, using solution-focused modalities and also helping with student referrals. In 2022 I will be bringing the Everybody Matters methods of social and emotional learning to southeastern Wyoming to serve middle school students. In addition to my work with Everybody Matters, I have directed a summer youth theater workshop for seventeen years. In my free time, I work at the bakery we own, write, and take long walks with my dogs.