My family
I was raised to be a lifelong learner while growing up around college campuses. I was lucky to have quality public education at Greenvale Elementary and Northfield Middle School in southern Minnesota. When my family moved, I went to high school in upstate New York. I started college at Syracuse University, where I met my husband.
We moved to Oregon together where I finished my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Cultural Anthropology. Over the years, we welcomed two children into our family. My husband’s career required several relocations through rural Oregon, Minnesota, and Indiana, while I focused on raising our children.
Advocacy in Education
Over the years we navigated four different school districts, and for several years we homeschooled. While teaching my own kids we focused on learning through experience. I organized field trips and classes for homeschooled children at The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, and The Museum of Science and Industry. In the process, I learned about the social, emotional, and intellectual development of children. I used this experience to advocate for the special needs of children as president of the board of Chicago Gifted Community Center.
Osseo School District
We were lucky to move back to Minnesota schools and settle into the Osseo School District in 2015. Over time each of our children came out as a part of the LGBTQ community. While our children are unconditionally loved and supported at home, we found the school climate unwelcoming.
I started advocating in our schools. From 2018 – 2019, I was Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force of the PACT group at Maple Grove Middle School. I met other parents who wanted all children to experience welcoming school communities. Last year I started a Master’s Degree in Advocacy and Political Leadership at Metropolitan State University.
This year I’m running for Osseo School Board #279.