Leaders Innovating for Tomorrow

I am excited to be bringing 25 years of teaching experience to LIFT. I am a National Board Certified Teacher with a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Eastern Illinois University. I coached high school soccer at the JV/Varsity levels for 18 years both in Mattoon and in Tolono, IL. For the last 2 years, I have served as the Instructional Technology Coach at Williams Elementary. It was in this role that I discovered a love for helping students in grades K-5 become involved in all aspects of creating a daily student news broadcast. I am very excited about kicking off this new journey in the field of Communications at LIFT. I am passionate about helping students find their creative voices as writers, filmmakers, and broadcasters.

I am excited to welcome students to the Communications Pathway at LIFT. I have a wide range of experience in video production, sound engineering, live/digital music arrangement, vocal/instrumental performance, and public speaking. I am thrilled to facilitate a program where students are encouraged to explore their interests and maximize their talents in the communications field. I hold a B.M. in Music Education from The School of Music at Millikin University with Summa Cum Laude distinction as an Illinois Golden Apple Scholar. I am the Sound Designer/Engineer at The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, where I also serve as the Music Director of Theatre for Young Audiences. A proud Mattoon native and a graduate of Mattoon High School, I am the Vocal Music Educator and Director of the Greenwave Singers. In my free time, I enjoy traveling to music/theatre events in Chicago and New York while spending time with friends and family.