What inspired you to be a teacher?
I have wanted to teach English since I was in 8th grade at Carson Middle School. I had a teacher named Mr. Burke, and he made English interesting and fun. I wanted to do the same. Since then, I have had other inspiring English teachers, primarily Kathy Esposito, in both 9th and 11th grade.
Outside of the classroom, what hobbies or activities do you enjoy the most?
Like any other English teacher, I love to read, but I have also always enjoyed bowling. My husband and I used to run a bowling league, but now we are busy going to baseball/softball tournaments, dance competitions, and hockey games for our two children.
What are some of your favorite books or authors?
I love to read mystery/thriller novels today, but if I look back at my favorites of all time, I would say The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, A Thousand Splendid Suns, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I am into most fiction novels, so long as they are not cheesy romance novels.
If you could give one piece of advice to high school students today, what would it be?
I went to high school before cell phones, let alone social media. I would encourage everyone to take breaks from the virtual world and try to engage more with the real world around you. I’m grateful I did not have to deal with the issues that social media and cyberbullying bring, but, as it is a choice, you do not have to deal with those things either.
What classes do you teach, and which one is your favorite?
I teach three different classes in a school year: Honors English 3, Contemporary Novels, and Speech. I love each one for different reasons. I spent a ton of time writing the curriculum for Honors English 3, and I have been reworking it with Mrs. Long over the last few years to truly encompass American literature. Contemporary Novels is like a book club, so it allows me to read new novels that I would otherwise not have the time for, and I don’t have to grade any essays! I just started teaching Speech last year, and I was not sure how I would like it because I hated public speaking when I was in school, but I enjoy using my experience to help others overcome their fear, as I did.
What is one thing you want your students to take away at the end of the year?
I want my students to walk away with an appreciation for how the literature of the past has influenced the writing of today, and I want them to have a solid understanding of how to write without the assistance of AI.
What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I think a lot of people DO know this, but my house is THE Halloween house in our neighborhood. We start decorating it after Labor Day. The trick-or-treaters have to walk through my haunted main floor and basement before they get their treat. As many students live in my neighborhood, I think a lot of NASH students have actually done this walk-through.
Where is your dream retirement location?
I think I will always live in the Pittsburgh area. Instead of spending money on a destination home, I’d rather have the ability to travel all over the world. Visiting other cultures fascinates me. I have been to Europe and Australia, so it would be nice to visit the other three habitable continents.
Do you have any pets?
Sadly, I do not. We owned Boxers for the longest time, but after they passed on, we decided our kids’ activities kept us away too often to care for one.
How do you spend your time outside of NASH?
Right now, I spend most of my time being a mother—even when we take a vacation, it’s to a travel baseball tournament for my 13-year-old, Wesley, or a national dance competition for my 10-year-old, Rylie. There are nights we eat dinner at 9:00 because that is when everyone finally gets home.
What is your best moment from teaching so far?
Honestly, I could not possibly narrow it down to one, but it is the moments when students drop by or send me an email because something in the world reminded them of my class or of me. I’ve had students send me messages because an actor from a movie or voice-over I shared passed away, or to tell me that they used something I gave them in college, or to invite me to a show they’re performing, or simply that they knew the answer to Final Jeopardy because it was something I taught. Just knowing that I left some kind of impression makes everything worth it.
Where did you go to college?
