What is your all time favorite book?

My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I love the feisty and sweet character of Scout Finch.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

My biggest pet peeve is when people chew with their mouths open. 

What is your favorite memory from teaching at your old school?

My favorite memory at my old district, Butler, is definitely the “Senior Olympics.” The senior homeroom classes would compete in olympic games against each other at the end of the school year. It was a really great and fun way to end the year with the seniors.

You and Mr. Long are high school sweethearts. What is your secret to a long lasting relationship?

Honestly, having some space from the person you are dating is a great idea. Mr. Long and I dated in high school but went to different colleges, and now we work at the same building. I barely see him throughout the day. We don’t even drive together because we just have completely different schedules. Having space is key so that you are not the only person your significant other is seeing.  

What is your favorite TV show?

I love Parks and Recreation, The Office, and Working Moms.

Did you take up any hobbies during quarantine?

I have a four year old and a one year old, so we took up new hobbies as a family. We started hiking, biking, baking, and trying new recipes for dinner.

What are some of your favorite songs?

My top four are “Family” by Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, “I Feel Fine” by the Beatles, “I Hope Tomorrow is Like Today” by Guster, and “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty.

What is your dream vacation/destination?

I’ve actually been dreaming a lot about being on vacation considering we still cannot go anywhere. I’d love to go to Hawaii or Australia as I’ve never been to either place before. However, I have been to Italy and would love to go back.

What is your favorite thing about NASH so far?

I absolutely love the students. Everyone thanks me as they are leaving my classroom and they really care about their grades. All of my students are very kind and polite, and I have loved getting to know them so far. 

What has been the biggest struggle adjusting to the new hybrid system?

The technology, for sure. It is really hard to feel connected to the kids at home while having the students in the classroom. Finding a balance between them has been challenging as I don’t want one of the two groups to feel ignored. Also, it is hard to know what the kids at home are doing. I hope they are paying attention, but you never know. 

How is the school different now than it was when you attended NASH?

To be honest, there are not a lot of differences. However, we did not have those fancy booths that there are now in the cafeteria. Also, I feel like there is a lot more pressure on the students now than there was back then.

Who was your favorite teacher at NASH? Do they still work here?

I had a few favorite teachers back then. One is Mrs. Morris, who taught my English class senior year, and she is actually right down the hall from my room. Mr. Graf, who does not work here anymore, was very fun and really pushed his students to be creative. He would bring his guitar in and play us songs. I also had Mr. Lyons, Mr. Neff, and Mrs. Manesiotis, and I really enjoyed their classes as well. 

What job would you have liked to have had if you weren’t a teacher?

I would have loved to be a nurse.

What is something on your bucket list that you would really like to do?

I really would love to run a marathon. I feel like I don’t have much time to do that nowadays, but when my kids get older, I would love to finally run one.