"Hello there! I have always been passionate about helping students gain confidence in their ability to succeed in school. My degrees in Psychology (BS from NAU/BYU) and Education (MEd from USU) as well as my professional experience teaching/mentoring at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels, have given me so many valuable insights and so much joy! While I am no longer working full-time as a school counselor, I always aim to be involved in helping students navigate the juncture of learning and mental health so they can succeed in school and life.

During my time as the Education Coordinator at a local adolescent day treatment program, I tutored practically every student from grades 6-12 that you could think of! I learned a lot and was grateful to have so many unique opportunities to help students overcome challenges and discover their inner strengths, especially through the DBT modality.

As a school counseling intern at both the junior high and high school levels I was fortunate enough to get to teach the Why Try class, which specializes in instructing and motivating students who have received more than one failing grade previously.

Once I became a full-time, licensed school counselor, I was blessed to get to be at the elementary level and had such a great time. I loved meeting with students in smaller groups and one-on-one to get down deep into meeting their socioemotional needs and found that many of them did better in class immediately after having those needs addressed. I also enjoyed teaching full classroom lessons and really miss it.

Since stopping my work full-time to be able to be at home with my kids, I have substitute taught and tutored privately occasionally to be able to stay fresh and continue to enjoy the fulfillment that comes from helping students, child and adult, feel a joyful spark when learning. While being a mom is very much still my full-time job, I appreciate the opportunity to be engaged in education on the broader scale several hours a week, where possible." less...