Professional Biography
I graduated from Calvin College in 2011 with a B.A. in History and Sociology within the Secondary Education program. My first two years of teaching were completed at the International School of Tegucigalpa in Honduras, Central America. It was an amazing experience to live and work within a beautiful culture. After teaching at IST, I moved back to Grand Rapids, MI, and taught high school Social Studies at Grand Rapids Christian High School. I then decided to make my way out of the cold and move closer to family. I will be teaching AP U.S. History, U.S. History, and Christian Leadership at Ontario Christian beginning in the 2016-2017 school year.
Personal Biography
I was born in Redlands, CA, but grew up in Tujunga, CA in the San Fernando Valley. I was fortunate enough to grow up in Christian education, attending Village Christian Schools in Sun Valley, CA, where my mom has taught for the last 20+ years. I loved growing up in such a culturally diverse area, amongst the mountains, sunshine, and beach. Besides teaching and now coaching the OC cheer team, I enjoy going for walks, reading, drinking tea, writing, exploring historical sites, and swimming or hiking with family. I am always up for an adventure and have traveled to several countries including Ecuador, Peru, Japan, and many of the Central American countries.
Philosophical Biography
I believe History is an amazing subject that represents God’s work and His will for us. By learning and applying historical analysis, students can study past events to watch God’s narrative unfold. Then we can go a step further by making connections from past to present. From there I believe History encourages us to be leaders and draw solutions to the issues that have affected us for so long. History is studying where we were, where we are, and where we are going. In many ways, it is allegorical to the Christian journey. Christians examine who they were as fallen sinners. Then as Christians, we consider where we are now. We take our world today and use it as our place of discipleship. Christians also focus on where we are going €“ to the Kingdom of Heaven, given by the grace and mercy of God. This Christian worldview is a lens we can use to study the past and the world around us. It actually encourages the content to be €œfaith increasing€ as students dive deeper into the people and events that have shaped our society and how each individual has a role in that development. I am excited to examine historical events and figures from a Christian worldview as it encourages students to challenge themselves spiritually and academically.
