I grew up in Bowling Green the oldest of three children. From my Southern accent to the fact that none of my good friends was Catholic like me, I grew up in an environment different from my students. I enjoyed learning about different faith traditions through my friendships and at the same time found these experiences enhanced my appreciation for the uniqueness and beauty of Catholicism.
I attended WKU, and upon graduation began my career as a middle school teacher at Oldham County Middle School. It was during this time that my husband, Drew, and I married and settled in Pewee Valley, becoming members of St. Aloysius nearly 20 years ago. I enjoyed seven years in the classroom before the birth of my first child, Hayden. At that point I took a leave which in a blink turned into fifteen adventure-filled years at home as our family grew with the additions of Henry, Elizabeth, and Sarah all of whom have benefitted from the strong educational and spiritual foundations established and nurtured while students at St. Aloysius.
Although I loved my years as a stay-at-home mom, once my daughter Sarah reached school age I began to feel the urge to get back into the classroom. After additional coursework to recertify, I accepted a position at St. Aloysius School five years ago. It’s a true blessing to be part of such a positive, committed faculty.
Of course it’s students who are truly the heart of our school, and I love working with middle schoolers. They are ready to think more critically and are exploring who they are and who they want to become. It’s crucial that they are met at their level both socially and academically in order to feel success. Middle Schoolers are all shapes and sizes as puberty kicks in for some but is still years away for others. They often struggle with friendship and social issues. As middle school teachers it is our job to be attuned to insecurities and work to find ways to build self-esteem. We are fortunate to be in a small environment allowing us to make such observations to help ensure our middle school hallway is a safe, supportive haven for our students: a place where they feel appreciated for who they are and challenged to grow in academic achievement, character development, and spirituality.