BIOGRAPHY
I started traveling overseas at sixteen with my Spanish class. I fell in love with traveling, learning about other cultures, meeting new people, and experiencing new possibilities. Since 1996 I have visited many beautiful countries to vacation, to volunteer, and to introduce to my students.
When I graduated from college, I told myself that if I did not get a job offer by August, I would head overseas to start teaching. However, I was offered my dream job at Stratford High School in South Carolina, and I enjoyed teaching theatre for nine years. It provided me the opportunity to earn my National Board Certification and a Master's degree in Theatre, but I knew I would still like to teach abroad. In 2013 I was ready to embark on another stage of my life. I had grown our US theatre program into the most requested elective class by the 1800 students year after year, and after moving to Abu Dhabi I started to grow the theatre program there. In just four years, we graduate three times as many IB theatre students as we did when I started. The teaching load has moved to entirely theatre based courses, including development of technical theatre as there is interest and excitement to get into the courses. Together with a team of talented students and adults I help provide performance opportunities that are enjoyed by our entire community. Teaching in Abu Dhabi has allowed me to renew my National Board Certification and become an IB Theatre examiner. As I reflect on fifteen years of teaching high school Theatre on two continents, I see that growing fiscally responsible, fun, and inclusive theatre programs is my talent. I have the energy to develop programs that are highly visible and intellectually rewarding for students.
While in Abu Dhabi I have been fortunate to travel on numerous trips with students. Five service based trips with Habitat for Humanity and World Volunteers have reminded me how wonderfully capable this next generation of leaders will be. These young people are a delight to travel with and their excitement for new experiences and facing challenges reminds me why I love this age group. I have also had the pleasure of taking three theatre focused trips to support the IB Theatre curriculum and broaden my students' perspective. Our Athletics and Activities Conference has provided opportunities to take groups of students for competition based forensics and collaborative theatre tournaments within the region.
I am an athletic and high-energy person. I believe proper nutrition and a love of exercise create a balanced life. I love to ride my bicycle, hike, run, lift weights, and perform partner acrobatics. I am also very experienced in gardening, sewing, crocheting, cooking, and baking. I see this opportunity to continue teaching overseas as a natural progression of my teaching career and life. I am eager to teach and learn in a new environment.