• Position: AP Calculus teacher, Head Girls Soccer coach, girls athletic director.
• Degrees & Alma Mater: bachelor’s in math; Texas Tech University & master’s in education administration; Lamar University
• School Activities: Coach girls soccer team, help in anything for girls athletics and co-sponsor for Mu Alpha Theta
• Years at Caney Creek: 18
• Years Teaching: 18

How would other people describe your high-school self?

Involved, I was involved in lots of things; I was in band, soccer, honor societies, voted most likely to succeed. I did well at all of the things I was involved in so maybe high achieving.

Was there a career you wanted to pursue OR pursued before teaching?

Not at all, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I thought about doing engineering, I’ve always really liked math but it didn’t seem to fit. My mom was a teacher and so when I finished college I figured I would try that for a little while before I figured out what I really wanted to do, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since. Other than when I was a little kid, I wanted to be a country singer or play in the WNBA.

Tell us about how you got into teaching.

My mom was a teacher and in high school I was in all of the honors and AP classes and I did really well, I was valedictorian so I tutored my friends all the time when they needed help. I was really comfortable explaining things and talking to people about math and English and how it all works, so when I finished college early I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Some of my friends were moving to Houston and I didn’t know what I was going to do with a math degree so I decided to teach for a little while. Saving money and to truly know what I wanted to do with my life so then I would go back to school and figure that out, I would just go but I just really loved teaching so I just stayed.

What do you do outside of school for fun? Why?

I’m in The Woodlands concert band, I do that on Thursdays every week. I have tickets to the Houston Dash and Houston Dynamo soccer teams with my friends so we go to that. My mom, my sister and I really like to go to musicals in Downtown Houston. We really enjoy musical theater. Other than that, I just like to take my dog on walks.

When people get to know you, what are they most surprised to learn about you? 

At school I’m mostly seen as someone who is running around doing athletics all the time so I think the band side and that I still play my trombone and that I really enjoy musicals I think really surprises people.

What is your hidden talent? 

I really like singing. I tried out for American idol. I’m learning to crochet at the moment, don’t know if that’s a talent yet but I’m working on it.

Tell us the story about what you are most proud of yourself for.

I’ve had some pretty big walls pop up in my life and being able to find a new outlet and persevere in a different way. In high school for example I tore my ACL and I couldn’t play soccer for about a year and that’s really where all my friends really were so I didn’t know what to do so I dedicated myself to play my instrument and I made All-State Band three times. It’s one of those “being able to shift paths” and I’m really proud of myself for being resilient.

Who is someone you are thankful for and why?

I am so thankful for my sister. She is always there to support me no matter what and the fact that I get to work with her here on campus brings a smile to my face everyday and getting to see her in the hallway. She’s super supportive.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Calm down, I used to be really stressed all the time and so worried about making mistakes and I think as I’ve gotten older and as things happen in life you get a little more used to rolling with the punches so I wish I could get my younger self to calm down some.

What do you hope to be remembered for?

I really honestly hope I’m someone who can inspire people to go for their dreams and for them to know that whatever they want is possible as long as they work for it and that I can be that person to help people achieve their goals.

What’s on your bucket list? 

I really want to go see the northern lights so I really want to go to Iceland. I also really want to go to the South pole and see the penguins.

What aspirations do you have for the future?

I’m really excited about the next few years here at Caney Creek with the splitting of the ninth grade campus and helping try to shape the school into what I think it has the potential to become so I’m really excited to get to be a part of that.

Favorites

• Food: Seafood, I really like shrimp, crab and lobster.
• Restaurant: Whiskey Cake
• Music: Everything except Screamo, my car is usually set to the Broadway channel.
• TV Show: “Only Murders in the Building” and “The Masked Singer”
• Movie: “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”
• Book: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K Rowling
• Teacher: Patti Selph as my co-worker and Ms. Gun, my AP English teacher and speech teacher in high school