Growing up on my family's century farm in rural Iowa, I spent much of my time playing in the mud and sandbox, and following my father and grandfathers, learning how to create and fix things. I draw inspiration from viewing and manipulating natural forms and from objects with which I have a personal connection. Learning by doing continues to be an internal driving force pushing me to seek out new opportunities to engage with different media in my personal work and in providing studio opportunities for my students. I am a proud to be a graduate of The University of Iowa (BA Art Education) and Lesley University (MA Integrated Teaching Through the Arts). Most recently, I challenged myself to become a more reflective practitioner as I became a National Board Certified Teacher in Art/Early Adolescence Through Young Adulthood.