As a child, I had different interests than the typical teacher-pretend play; I focused on dressing up my dolls for our imaginative adventures. My dream of becoming a renowned fashion designer in New York City took an unexpected turn in 2004 when I met my life partner. Love blossomed swiftly, and we soon expected our first child.

Our son’s arrival in 2006 prompted me to plan my future more concretely. At the time, my husband worked as a local restaurant chef, while I was a paralegal. I transitioned into an office manager role at Ameriprise Financial.

As the financial advisor I worked for had ties to the local school district and many teacher clients, they encouraged me to consider a career in education. I heeded their advice, enticed by the prospects of swift employment, health benefits, life insurance, and improved income. In 2012, I graduated from Coastal Carolina University with a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching, immediately starting my career as a 5th-grade teacher. The following year, I became a Reading Interventionist and also taught 3rd grade for a year.

In my personal life, my partner and I married in 2014. In 2015, I earned a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology, coinciding with the birth of our second child, Jackson. In 2016, our third child, Brooklyn, arrived.

With the births of Jackson and Brooklyn, I realized I didn’t want to miss their milestones as I had with Carter. So, in October 2017, I made the best decision for my family and me by resigning from my teaching role. For three more years, I taught online ESL until my discovery of TPT in 2020, which has been a transformative journey. Helping fellow teachers is my true calling, and receiving feedback about how my resources and tutorials save time and make learning enjoyable fills my heart with joy and purpose.